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What The Recommended Alcohol Intake Means To Your Health

Updated on February 5, 2014

Alcoholic Beverages and Responsible Drinking

Many people don’t realize it but alcohol can be very beneficial to your health. The key to this however is moderation. Unfortunately all too many of us don’t drink in moderation and we tend to overindulge. It's so easy to do and can make those get togethers with family and friends that much more exciting while for others it can be an escape route from a painful reality.

If drinking in moderation is a challenge for you then you may want to consider abstaining from alcohol altogether. There are plenty of other diets and exercise programs that can keep you healthy without the aide of alcohol. However, if you love to savor the aroma of a fine red wine or the hoppy flavor of an ice cold microbrewed beer without its intoxicating effects then please continue reading. There are many health benefits of alcohol that you may not know about including red wine calories.

Source

Research and Moderate Drinking

Medical professionals from all over the world have been conducting research which suggests that moderate consumption of beer, wine or distilled spirits can improve your health and increase longevity. Here are a few examples of what they have found.

  • Alcohol Increases HDL (good cholesterol) and decreases LDL (bad cholesterol)
  • Beer contains silicon which helps strengthen your bones
  • Alcohol helps prevent blood clots by thinning your blood and breaking up the clumping of platelets in your blood cells.

  • Wine contains many antioxidants such as flavanoids and resveratrol which help prevent against heart disease

One Glass Per Day

Whatever your favorite alcoholic beverage may be, it’s important to stick to the recommended alcohol intake of one glass per day otherwise you may be doing more harm then good to your internal organs.

One drink is equal to:

  • 1 beer = 12 fluid ounces. One per day for women and two for men
  • 1 glass of wine = 5 fluid ounces
  • Distilled spirits = 1.5 fluid ounces

Keep in mind there are many factors to consider when it comes to moderate drinking. If you have any medical conditions or if you are on medication, you may want to consult with your doctor about your alcohol consumption. If you are pregnant it may be best to avoid drinking altogether. If you find it challenging to stick with the recommended alcohol intake then you may want to seek help and avoid drinking entirely.

More than just a tasty beverage

Throughout history cultures from all over the world have used alcohol for a variety of purposes. Evidence suggests this could have dated as far back as 10,000 B.C.

  • During the 10th century the Spaniards used alcohol as a solvent for drugs
  • Egyptian pictographs clearly show evidence of wine distillation used for medicine, rituals and funeral purposes.
  • Hippocrates made his own elixir of vermouth that he used to cure a number of ailments such as intestinal worms, the common cold and stomach pains
  • During the 1800’s alcohol was widely used to sterilize unsafe drinking water in Europe.
  • In the Old West cowboys poured alcohol on open cuts and wounds to kill bacteria and prevent infection. Alcohol was also fed to patients while performing surgeries such as cutting off a damaged limb or removing a bullet

Enjoy That Alcohol Beverage

If anything at all I hope you learned something new about the health benefits of alcohol and how important it is to stick with the recommended alcohol intake. So go ahead and enjoy that glass of wine at the dinner table and if you happen to be catching a cold then make yourself a hot toddie to sip on throughout the day. A 12 ounce glass of beer will compliment a nice sunny day at the beach and if you like to write then sip on some cognac and let your imagination flow.

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