Alcohol And Health: The Good And The Bad

When it comes to alcohol and the state of your health, there can be some very mixed messages out there. While some people say that alcohol consumed in moderation can have some fantastic health benefits, excessive consumption of alcohol is both addictive and highly toxic, resulting in many accidents, breakages in marriages, cases of physical abuse, as well as some very severe health risks. 

So, whether alcohol is actually good or bad for you will depend on each person’s personal health status, as well as the amount of alcohol that they consume.

 Alcohol contains Ethanol, which is what makes you drunk, and drunkenness can affect your mood and behaviour in a huge way. It also reduces your level of self-consciousness making you do things that you normally would not do when in a rational state. It impairs your judgement and promotes irrational behaviour. The problem lies when people get addicted to alcohol and start binge drinking, causing them to do things they will later regret. 

So, how much really is too much alcohol? Well, in most countries it is recommended that a daily consumption of low to moderate is considered sufficient, which is actually one glass per day for women and two glasses per day for men. Anything above that is considered as excessive consumption. In addition, if a person has some sort of disease, it may be adversely affected by the consumption of alcohol, especially those with conditions such chronic asthma, migraine etc, where alcohol can aggravate the condition. 

What are the health benefits of moderate consumption of alcohol?

• Cardiovascular health – Certain alcoholic beverages like red wine can be marginally beneficial to those with cardiovascular problems, as it can slightly reduce the risk of heart attacks and other heart conditions.
• Cholesterol – Certain drinks have the ability to increase good cholesterol in the blood thereby preventing heart attacks and strokes. Red wine and beer consumed in moderation are deemed to be beneficial for such conditions.
• Boosts bone health – The silicon content found in Beer has been known to help prevent certain bone health issues such as Osteoporosis.
• High in Vitamins and nutrients – Certain beverages such as Craft Gin are made using many botanicals such as Juniper berries, citrus, herbs and spices, and are almost all-natural. These botanicals are rich in many vitamins and other nutrients which are very beneficial to maintaining good health. These nutrients also aid in blood circulation and the passing out of fluids and toxins.
• Hay Fever – Certain beverages such as Vodka and Craft Gin don’t include histamines, which are what causes hay fever, and hence is the best choice of drink for those suffering from it. These drinks also do not contain sulphites which can trigger bouts of hay fever. 

Now let us see what the risks of excessive consumption of alcohol are.

• Cancer – Certain types of cancer, such as liver cancer, gastrointestinal cancer etc have been directly linked to excessive consumption of alcohol, as it damages the cells in the body and when the cells try to repair themselves, their DNA changes, leading to the formation of cancer cells and other diseases.
• Diabetes – Alcohol can increase blood sugar levels in your body and adversely interact with certain types of medication. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to hyperglycaemia.
• Heart Problems – Although moderate consumption of alcohol can be beneficial for your heart, excessively consuming it weakens the heart muscle, preventing it from pumping blood properly. Serious conditions such as congestive heart failure can be a result of alcohol abuse.
• Other serious conditions – Excessive drinking, especially for seniors, can have many adverse effects, such as damaging brain cells causing memory and vision loss, and can even lead to worsening dementia. High blood pressure, osteoporosis and mood disorders can worsen over time through continuous alcohol abuse. 

As important as the amount of alcohol you are consuming is, the type of alcohol you consume, and the volume, as well as what kind of mixers you use in your drink are significant as well. All these things can either positively or negatively affect your health, and every bit of care should be taken to ensure that you are not damaging your health with what you drink. Of course, as we mentioned earlier, consumption of alcohol in moderate amounts can actually be beneficial for your health in many ways, but it is the excessive consumption of it and addiction that you need to be careful of. After all, your health is wealth, remember? 

For those moderate drinkers of course, there is always the extremely flavourful handcrafted spirits such as Craft Gin and beer. Although these spirits may not be easy to find due to their limited production, there are many online stores that are solely dedicated to providing such discerning customers with the perfect craft spirits, offering booze delivery in London, directly to your doorstep. So, if you want your handcrafted booze sent easily and conveniently to your home, without the hassle of travelling out, especially during these uncertain times, order online, and enjoy your favourite beverage. Not too much though, because too much is definitely not good for you!