Alcohol

Drinking alcohol can be good for you. At least that's what some research
suggests. But for every finding about its benefits, another seems to warn
you of its risks. So if you want to look after your health, is booze
something to seek out or avoid?
In small amounts, alcohol of any kind increases the good cholesterol in
your blood and is linked with fewer heart attacks. Red wine has also
been linked with reduced blood pressure and a decreased risk of type 2
diabetes. But small amounts means one to two standard drinks a day.
And that's where it's easy to come unstuck.
A standard drink just means one that contains 10 grams of alcohol. The
size will vary, depending on what you're drinking. But chances are it's
smaller than you think.
When most of us pour 'one drink' of white wine, we tend not to realise
how much more wine is in the glass than if we poured one standard
drink. For more full bodied reds with a higher alcohol content, one
standard drink is even smaller still.
The benefits of low-level drinking also need to be weighed against its
drawbacks. Just one standard drink a day, on a regular basis, can raise
the risk of breast cancer in women for instance. And, male or female,
booze gives you extra kilojoules with no nutrients or fibre, making it
tougher to maintain a healthy weight.
But what about the antioxidants in red wine? While it's true they can
help stop blood clots forming and blocking arteries, they're not found
exclusively in the grapes used to make wine. They're in plenty of other
fruits and vegetables. And even a cup of tea!
Of course at higher levels, drinking is definitely not healthy. In fact,
more than two standard drinks a day is now considered a health risk for
both men and women. Heavy drinking damages many organs in your
body, causes serious social harm and significantly increases fatal
accidents.
If you don't drink, taking up the habit for health reasons is probably
misguided. For one thing, moderate drinking might not be beneficial for
every individual. And it's always hard to predict who might end up
creeping into the drinking range that causes harm.
If on the other hand, you enjoy a drink or two, there's no reason why you
can't continue. As long as you're honest with yourself about the amount.