Alcohol and Health - The Pros and Cons of a Glass a Day

Research has shown that moderate drinking may benefit heart health, particularly for people with a higher risk of heart attack. Moderate drinkers are actually less likely to suffer heart attacks than people who don’t drink at all.  

An American Heart Association study found that risk of stroke for moderate drinkers was half that of people who did not drink. A Harvard University study also found that young adults who consumed 1-3 drinks per day had the lowest levels of high blood pressure.

However, the key to these benefits is moderation; heavy drinking over a long period of time will increase the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and some types of stroke.

The risk of several cancers is increased if you drink heavily over a long period of time, especially cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat, and larynx. Some research suggests a connection between alcohol consumption and breast cancer in women. However, other research shows that light to moderate drinking does not increase risk, and further, that women who have a high intake of folic acid offset any possible increased risk from moderate drinking.

Alcoholism will usually lead to some loss of mental function. However, alcohol does not cause brain cells to die. This idea was promoted by the same people who said alcohol in the blood can cause people to self-combust and burn alive!

Moderate drinking may even benefit memory among older women and has also been associated with better cognitive skills. A recent study of more than 12,000 elderly women (aged 71-80) found that those who consumed light to moderate amounts of alcohol daily had about a 20 percent lower risk of problems with their mental abilities later in life. Note the emphasis, once again, on moderate consumption; chronic alcohol abuse can cause serious neurological damage.

However, alcohol can diminish congnition in young people whose brains are not yet fully developed. Alcohol also affects a baby's development in the womb and can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This condition is associated with learning and developmental disabilities, especially in mathematics and memory.

A woman who drinks during pregnancy increases the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) for her unborn baby. FAS is usually associated with heavy drinking on the part of the mother, however as no safe limit is known it is best not to drink at all during pregnancy. In research involving 400,000 American women one standard drink per day was not shown to cause any harmful effects. Many other studies back this up; however, the recommendation to abstain is still safest.

Drinking too much alcohol can contribute to obesity in several ways. There are seven calories per gram of alcohol, which makes it fairly calorie dense, and it is also thought to lessen the body’s ability to burn fat. Indeed, if you drink too much, fat storage may be promoted, particularly in the belly, which is a health danger zone.

Alcohol is more problematic for people trying to lose weight. It can stimulate appetite and if drinking is associated with eating high-fat foods, particularly in social situations, there is also a greater chance of consuming more calories. As well as being calorie dense, the calories in alcohol are considered “empty” in that they provide no nutritional value. People trying to lose weight need to carefully control their calorie intake from alcohol.

That said, alcohol does not lead to weight gain as a rule. In fact, extensive studies show that moderate consumption of alcohol is often associated with a small weight reduction in women. The reasons for this are not known, but alcohol appears to increase metabolic rate and also reduce the amount of sugar a person eats. The key concept, yet again, is moderation. Heavy drinking will cause weight gain.

Research has found that light to moderate drinkers of alcoholic beverages consistently have a 30-40 percent lower diabetic risk than teetotalers. However, exactly how much alcohol reduces the risk of diabetes has not yet been established. A recent study has also shown that light or moderate consumption of alcohol improves insulin sensitivity and may reduce potential cardiac complications for people with diabetes. In the study, moderate alcohol consumption improved the action of insulin in both diabetic and non-diabetic participants, but the effect was much greater among those with diabetes.

However, excess alcohol consumption is an easy way to gain weight as alcohol is high in calories. There is a strong link between obesity and diabetes.

Alcohol interferes with calcium balance and vitamin D absorption, both of which are important for good bone health; therefore, excess alcohol consumption (more than 1-2 standard drinks per day) can lead to weaker bones. Vitamin D deficiency in particular can lead to osteomalacia, a bone condition associated with pain, fractures and deformity.

Chronic heavy drinking can result in hormonal deficiencies in both men and women. Men who drink too much alcohol tend to produce less testosterone, a hormone known for its positive effect on bone density.

In pre-menopausal women, heavy drinking can result in irregular menstrual cycles, which increases the risk of osteoporosis. However, alcohol consumption may actually have a positive effect on bone density in women after menopause.

Due to the effects of alcohol on balance, alcoholics tend to suffer from falls more frequently than other people. Heavy alcohol consumption has been associated with an increased risk of fracture, including hip fracture, in both men and women.

Around two million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease as a result of heavy drinking over a long period of time. Alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) can cause death if drinking continues, but if drinking stops it may be reversible. Alcoholic cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) occurs in 10-20 percent of heavy drinkers and can also cause death if drinking continues.

Women develop alcoholic liver disease more quickly and from drinking less alcohol than men, and are also more likely to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to die from cirrhosis.

Positive effects – Many other studies have shown moderate consumption of alcohol to be beneficial for a number of other health areas. These include a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and senile dementia, a greater resistance to the common cold virus, and a significant reduction in the risk of Peripheral Artery Disease which is a significant cause of death among the elderly.

Harmful effects – There are also a long list of other diseases and health problems which are partly caused, or greatly affected, by long-term heavy drinking. These include pancreatitis, peptic ulcer and gastritis, heartburn, nutritional deficiencies, menstrual problems, anxiety, headaches, sleep disturbance and insomnia. Heavy drinking is also associated with relationship problems, legal complications, work absenteeism and violence.