Women And Alcohol: Is It Any Good?

A lot more females are getting into the trend of alcohol drinking- adults and teenagers alike. But no matter what age, at some point this bad habit has to come to a complete halt, particularly during pregnancy in order to prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Certainly, alcohol is one of the most potent teratogens (a substance that can result in fetal birth defects). In the early years, the affected kid typically manifests with hyperactivity and persistent irritability. This is followed by developmental delay and growth deficiency. Above all, alcohol is one of the most recognizable causes of mental retardation in the United States.

On the other hand, outside pregnancy matters, it is startling to know that alcohol has been gaining reputation due to its health advantages. Professionals believe that ethanol in alcoholic beverages like wines, beers, and other drinks is the major player in conferring healthful effects to the body. Drinking alcohol has long been recognized by researchers to have beneficial effects to one's health. Here is how alcohol may be beneficial:

• An extensive body of medical information has proven that light to moderate intake of alcohol confers cardiovascular protection by enhancing insulin sensitivity and elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (also known as the good cholesterol). It decreases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic stroke, and dementia. In the INTER-HEART study, involving 27,000 patients from 52 countries, it has found out that men who were already following a healthy lifestyle and consuming light to moderate alcohol had 40-50% decreased risk for heart attack. On the contrary, excessive alcohol consumption or binge drinking are toxic to the heart and over-all wellbeing of the person.

• Some research have additionally revealed that those who consume alcohol in moderation on a daily basis have less abdominal obesity compared to the non drinkers.

• Light to moderate alcohol intake has anti-inflammatory effects. Most illnesses begin with simple inflammation of the organ that has expanded and extended its course. With alcohol possessing an anti-inflammatory action, a lot of researchers think that it can potentially deter progression of illnesses.

Simply put, alcohol drinking confers protection, prevents insulin resistance, elevates good cholesterol, lessens abdominal obesity and prevents progression of inflammatory illnesses.

Since these health effects are nonselective, non pregnant women who used to drink can take advantage of these health benefits too. Though there is one matter that needs to be emphasized, and that is these health effects of ethanol largely rely on the total amount of alcohol consumed and the pattern of drinking. Alcohol is most cardio-protective if taken on a daily basis, ideally prior to or during a meal, and at a light to moderate intake.

By light to moderate intake, it means you only have to take in up to one drink daily (for females), and 1 to 2 drinks everyday (for men). One drink should approximately consist of 13 to 15 g ethanol, that is roughly equivalent to 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz 100-proof spirits.

In spite of the health advantages that alcohol can give to an individual, alcohol is not universally approved as a health enhancer owing to the shortage of randomized outcome data and tools for predicting susceptibility of an individual to drinking problem. Alcohol drinking is a slippery slope that many individuals (which include females) most likely end up as heavy drinkers. Thus, the American Heart Association's latest guideline is not to start drinking alcohol just to take advantage of these health benefits if you are a nondrinker to begin with.