The data reveal that individuals who were emotionally stable lived on average three years longer than those who had a tendency toward being in a negative or anxious emotional state. Long-term stress also may contribute to or worsen a range of health problems, including digestive disorders, headaches, and sleep disorders. Whether you love it or hate it, physical activity is a cornerstone of healthy aging. Scientific evidence suggests that people who exercise regularly not only live longer, but also may live better — meaning they enjoy more years of life without pain or disability. Even brief episodes of binge-drinking can precipitate atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the heart rate increases and beats out of rhythm.
Are there any health benefits associated with alcohol?
Drinking alcohol may increase your risk of certain cancers, especially mouth and throat cancer. There are several possible reasons for the beneficial effects of drinking moderately. In worst-case scenarios, severe alcohol-induced brain damage may impair people’s ability to lead an independent life.
How different factors affect cognitive health
These medicines are designed to help manage a chronic disease, just as someone might take drugs to keep their asthma or diabetes in check. Three medications are currently approved in the United States to help people stop or reduce their drinking and prevent relapse. They are prescribed by a primary care physician or other health professional and may be used alone or in combination with counseling. You may reserve that celebratory glass of bubbly for special occasions, but it’s a relatively good choice. “Champagne is a healthier option because the grapes used contain polyphenols10,” says Shapiro, which help manage blood pressure, promote circulation, and even improve systemic inflammation.
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Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce symptoms of type 2 diabetes by enhancing the uptake of blood sugar by your cells. While alcohol intake and depression seem to increase the risk of one another simultaneously, alcohol abuse may be the stronger causal factor (20, 21, 22). The findings show that making these small, daily changes can add up to significant health benefits.
Clearly there are good reasons to discourage excessive alcohol consumption, driving drunk, and other avoidable alcohol-related trouble. Research on mice shows that consuming the agave tequila plant can increase calcium absorption and improve bone health. However, for humans, it’s doubtful that drinking tequila can actually help treat calcium deficiency or bone conditions like osteoporosis. No matter what type of wine you’re reaching for, Kober recommends looking for natural wines. “These wines have far fewer additives and your liver won’t have to work as hard, adding to the health benefits that you may get from your wine,” she says.
Helps Your Heart
“Some people think of the effects of alcohol as only something to be worried about if you’re living with alcohol use disorder, which was formerly called alcoholism,” Dr. Sengupta says. Keep in mind is alcohol good for you that consuming any of these limited amounts is not risk-free. The only risk-free option is to not drink any alcohol at all. These are more than just interesting questions for researchers to study.
The newer types of these medications work by offsetting changes in the brain caused by AUD. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition that doctors diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm. The condition can range from mild to severe and is diagnosed when a patient answers “yes” to two or more of the following questions. Research shows that about one-third of people who are treated for alcohol problems have no further symptoms 1 year later. Many others substantially reduce their drinking and report fewer alcohol-related problems.
Behavioral Treatments
- For this reason, your liver is particularly vulnerable to damage by alcohol intake (3).
- Moderate drinking seems to be good for the heart and circulatory system, and probably protects against type 2 diabetes and gallstones.
- Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
- They also took a closer look at the participants’ quality of sleep.
Damaged DNA can cause a cell to grow out of control, which results in cancerous tumors. Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days. But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe. That’s because your body already has processes in place that allow it to store excess proteins, carbohydrates and fats. So, your system prioritizes getting rid of alcohol before it can turn its attention to its other work. With continued alcohol use, steatotic liver disease can lead to liver fibrosis.
Alcohol ‘may not benefit everyone who drinks moderately’
Combined with treatment led by health professionals, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support. Behavioral treatments are aimed at changing drinking behavior through counseling. They are led by health professionals and supported by studies showing they can be beneficial. As for my patient who asked about drinking wine, several months after his death, a package was delivered to my house.
- The social and psychological benefits of alcohol can’t be ignored.
- Lowered inhibitions can lead to poor choices with lasting repercussions — like the end of a relationship, an accident or legal woes.
- This makes older adults more likely to be socially isolated or to feel lonely.
- Excessive alcohol consumption can have serious health consequences.
- A JAMA review of 107 studies published from 1980 to 2021 found that occasional or low-volume drinkers did not have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than lifetime nondrinkers did.
- April is Alcohol Awareness Month – an annual campaign launched in 1987 and sponsored by the NCADD that aims to increase public awareness of alcoholism and its related issues.