I mean any alcohol. It used to be that people thought only red wine helped you, but in recent studies data shows that any type of alcohol would raise your HDL or “good” cholesterol noticeably. This helps to describe what is know as the “French Paradox” where even though an entire group of people indulge themselves on what we as Americans see as high fat foods, such as pastries and sweets, they still have a low level of heart disease. This could be dude to the constant moderate consumptions of alcoholic beverages in this country.
Now you might be like, “Whoa! Hold on. Americans drink all the time.” Well yes they do, but not the same as most Europeans and certainly not in a safe manner. It’s all about the different cultures. In Europe alcohol is like water, it’s just something you have to drink with dinner or when you are thirsty. However in America it is used for intoxicating ones self to a point where it is easier to talk to the opposite sex and forget about the paper that is due the next day. At least you don’t have any homework for a few hours, but this kind of drinking is unhealthy and can cause liver damage, problems with the law, and in many cases death. This study is based on the term moderate drinking; which is defined as one or two drinks a day for a man and one drink a day for a woman. And just so you all know one drink is described as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Americans using alcohol.
So what do you guys think? Is Americas health problems and obesity due to irresponsible drinking? Is Europe’s good health and low heart disease due to moderate drinking? And why are the paradigms of drinking different in America and Europe.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_92070.html
3 Responses to “Drinking Alcohol Helps Your Health.”
This is a really interesting topic. I’ve never really heard about the positive effects of alcohol since the negative effects are much more prevalent, at least where we live. I don’t think that obesity in America is due solely to irresponsible drinking, nor is Europe’s good health due solely to moderate drinking. I’m sure the alcohol plays a small role, but there are many other factors that effect our health, like the over-abundancy of cheap, unhealthy foods in America vs. the healthier, cultural foods in other nations.
America definitely has a drinking problem though, I’m not denying that. I’m sure our country would be a lot healthier if we toned down the partying a little bit. People should not be afraid of alcohol, or paranoid of its effects, but they shouldn’t over do it either. After Googling this topic, I found a site that said, “Moderate drinkers ages 50 and older were less likely to suffer debilitating health problems than those who abstained from drinking and those who drank heavily.” This was news to me, and I’m glad I know now. http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2009/moderate-drinking-helps.html
I thought this was quite interesting. What I thought was most interesting is the concept Americans have with alcohol compares to places like Europe. I couldn’t imagine it being something you have with a meal, or anything like that. I don’t think that America’s high obesity rate is directly caused by irresponsible drinking, although that may be a component of obesity. This is so weird! I was looking at all these facts comparing moderate drinkers compared to abstainers. Most of them all show that moderate drinking improves mood, health, and reduces the chance of some disorders. Check this out( http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/HealthIssues/1055517115.html )
I definitely don’t think our alcohol commendation has to do with our high obesity rates. It has to do with our food. Yes, the French and other European cultures have lots sweats and dough treats, but they are also more active.
On this web site http://walkandbikeforlife.org/Articles/Walk%20Bike%20Obesity%20Rates.pdf Page 5 it shows a graph what present information. It shows that European countries walk, bike, and use public transit WAY more than Americans do. Also in Europe, you tend to eat a lot more veggie’s than you do meats. I ate almost NO MEAT while I was there and SO MUCH vegetables that I had to take iron tables to keep my anemia down.
European eating habits may seem unhealthy because of the breads but really with all the walking and biking they do and the vegetables they eat it keeps them healthier and thin. Even McDonald in France is healthier than those in America, less grease on burgers, less salt on fries. (but taste discussing).