William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-02-01 / 2. szám
jyicdbol: Toxic or Tonic?Y c§ by Esteban Mezey, M.D. Like many things in life, alcohol can be either beneficial or damaging depending on how it's used. Researchers have concluded that any health benefits of alcohol come from "moderate" drinking only, defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. (A "drink" equals 12 ounces of beer or wine cooler, five ounces of wine or an ounce and a half of distilled spirits.) With heavier drinking, the benefits are lost and significant risks kick in. When it comes to alcohol, women are at a disadvantage that has nothing to do with body size: A 250- pound woman is more likely to be damaged by alcohol than is a 140- pound man. That's because women have higher levels of the liver enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the body, which allows them to metabolize alcohol about 20 percent faster than men. Although this might seem to be an asset, faster alcohol metabolism isn't a good thing. Health Benefits The greatest physical health benefit of alcohol is its apparent ability to protect the arteries and the heart. Studies have conclusively shown that moderate alcohol consumption decreases the risk of death from coronary heart disease. New research indicates that it may also reduce the risk of stroke. Although scientists are still not certain why alcohol has such a protective effect, two theories have been suggested. First, alcohol increases blood levels of the "good" HDL (highdensity lipoprotein) cholesterol, which clears plaque from the arteries. Second, alcohol affects the body's clotting mechanisms, decreasing the likelihood that a clot will block a blood vessel. Regardless of whether you drink beer, wine or spirits, the beneficial (and harmful) effects of alcohol are the same. However, there is some controversy about whether red wine has additional heart benefits that stem from something other than its alcohol content. Red wine-and red grape juice, for that matter-has high levels of natural chemicals called flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and may decrease the harmful effects of "bad" LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. On the other hand, at least one large study found that wine drinkers may enjoy better health because they tend to be thinner and less likely to smoke than beer or spirit drinkers and are therefore at lower risk of heart disease to begin with. Health Hazards Despite those psychological and physical health benefits, alcohol is far from benign. Even at moderate levels of just a drink or two, alcohol can cause serious problems. • Drug Interactions. Many drugs, like alcohol, are metabolized by the liver. Because the liver has limited processing capacity at any given time, these substances can compete with each other. As a result, the effects of some drugs may be either blocked or augmented. • Night blindness. Alcohol blocks the formation of a compound in the eye called retinal, which is responsible for vision in low light. • Accidents. Alcohol affects judgment and slows reflexes, which can lead to falls or to accidents with vehicles or other machinery. • Breast cancer. Even consuming just one drink per day may increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Although scientists are not certain why this might be true, some studies suggest that alcohol increases the body's estrogen levels which may promote breast cancer. Heavy drinking--more than two drinks per day for women or more than four a day for men~can have additional health consequences: liver disease, cancer, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pancreatitis, gastritis, diarrhea, infertility, impotency and irregular menstruation. If you choose to drink alcohol, remember that the health benefits come only from low to moderate levels of consumption. If you don't already drink, don't start: the risks are too great. That includes the risk of alcoholism—and the only way to avoid developing that disease is never to start drinking in the first place. Esteban Mezey, M.D., is a professor of medicine at The johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. IftPLl Copywright 1996-2000 (c). lnteliHealth.com Reprinted with permission of InteliHealth. com. Health Links For more information about alcohol and its effects on your health, as well as other useful information on a wide variety of health topics, log onto: www.lnteliHeaMt.com. Hilliii Pen Lile. February 2000 5
