Alcohol effect

Dr Emily Burns, head of research communications at Diabetes UK, said people needed to be wary as “the impact of regular alcohol consumption on the risk of type 2 will be different from one person to the next”.
While the findings were interesting she said they “wouldn’t recommend people see them as a green light to drink in excess of the existing NHS guidelines”.
That advice suggests that men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week – equivalent to six pints of average strength beer or 10 small glasses of low strength wine – over the course of three days or more, with some days being alcohol-free.
Prof Tolstrup and her team have used the same survey to research the effect of alcohol on other conditions.
They found that drinking moderately a few times a week was linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disorders, such as heart attack and stroke.
But consuming any amount of alcohol increased the risk of developing gastrointestinal diseases, such as alcohol liver disease and pancreatitis.
Prof Tolstrup added: “Alcohol is associated with 50 different conditions, so we’re not saying ‘go ahead and drink alcohol’.

Whether you sling back four Bloody Mary’s with your buddies over a massive brunch spread or hit the dance floor while sloshing your questionable fourth mixed drink over everyone in a 5-foot vicinity, your body feels different, even if the drink number is the same. Why, though? According to an article published in New York Magazine, experts suspect a number of reasons, none 100 percent conclusive.

Some of us swear that day-drinking doesn’t leave us with near the feeling of drunkenness that a night out does. (Some of us also swear that the “hair of the dog” is the key to a hangover cure, which, sorry, is scientifically false.)

But, according to Nyree Dardarian, a professor of nutrition sciences at Drexel University, there is little science supporting that our bodies actually process alcohol faster in the daylight.

“Your metabolism is functioning 24 hours of the day,” she told NY Mag. She did, however, acknowledge that what we do during and after drinking counts for something. For example, most of us day-drinking usually are sitting and eating, and most night-drinkers are usually standing and might not eat for a few hours later.

The research starts to get contradictory when talking about what time is actually better for our bodies. A 2001 study found that rats had an increased sensitivity to alcohol at nighttime, which would mean that, should these findings also apply to humans, alcohol hits us harder at night.

But another study tested male medical students’ cognitive abilities both in the afternoon and evening, with and without the influence of alcohol. Students took a cognitive test on two different occasions—one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

They first took the test at the two different times with no alcohol. Then they took the test again, but were given alcohol before each test. The students did much worse on their afternoon test under alcohol compared to without. But the study found little cognitive difference between the two evening results.

Yet another study, however, showed that alcohol is absorbed more quickly under stressful situations, such as navigating a crowded room as opposed to relaxing with friends.

In this study, students were given alcohol and then exposed to the stressful stimuli of either watching a graphic eye surgery or keeping their hands submerged in ice water. The blood alcohol content of students under duress rose more quickly than students who were not.

Seemingly appropriately so, the science of whether day or night drinking is better is hazy. Researchers can all agree on one thing, and that’s to just not drink to excess in the first place.

In fact, binge drinking has been shown to wreak havoc on your heart, among other things. But the good news is, there isn’t any definitive research saying that one time of day is better than the other, so you don’t have to give up your sacred brunch tradition or your late-night karaoke.

Heart disease is the number one killer of American adults; it takes the lives of 610,000 people each year, which is more than lung cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer combined. Although heart disease and related complications can be genetic, your heart health is greatly impacted by lifestyle factors — especially by what you eat.

Most people assume dietary cholesterol is the number-one heart offender — after all, keeping your “bad” cholesterol (LDL) down and your “good” cholesterol (HDL) is essential for heart health — but recent research proves there’s no correlation between eating cholesterol and the levels of cholesterol in your blood. Instead, there are plenty of other foods that could be taking a heavy toll on your heart health without you realizing. Here are some of the biggest offenders, and be sure to avoid these 20 Worst Habits for Heart Health.

1. Added sugar

The sweet stuff that’s lurking in everything from candy to pasta sauce to ketchup is one of the worst offenders for your heart. “I am on a crusade against sugar,” says Adam Splaver, MD, clinical cardiologist and co-founder of NanoHealthAssociates. “Anything that has glucose, fructose or any sort of sugar is bad for your heart as it increases inflammation and inflammation begets cardiovascular disease.”

The FDA recommends people no more than consume 50 grams of added sugar a day, but the American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams of added sugar for men and 25 grams for women for optimal heart health.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sugar, in general, is bad for your heart, but high fructose corn syrup could be one of the worst offenders. Dr. Splaver warns that fructose can overload your liver and cause insulin resistance. This can lead to metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes. Check your labels, and be sure to avoid these 23 Shocking Foods with Hidden Corn Syrup.

3. Baked goods

“Baked goods have a double whammy of sugar and hidden saturated fat,” Dr. Splaver says. “[They] generally have no nutritional value and often contain hidden saturated fat and hydrogenated shortenings, which may raise your bad cholesterol (LDL).” Some hydrogenated shortenings contain trans fats, which have been shown to raise cholesterol levels.

4. Soda

It’s not just all the sugar that makes soda a problem, it’s the fact that it’s liquid sugar. “Drinking soda has serious consequences,” Dr. Splaver warns. “Regular soda promotes an insulin spike, which leads to weight gain and can cause a host of metabolic disorders. Beyond the sugars, soda has phosphoric acid which can promote osteoporosis and may be a cancer-causing agent. And the sugar can lead to inflammation which causes cardiovascular disease.”

5. Diet Soda

Think diet soda is a better alternative to the regular stuff? Think again. “Artificial sweeteners can lead to the same spike and risk of metabolic disease; a recent study indicated that excessive drinking can counterintuitively lead to weight gain,” Dr. Splaver says. “Consuming diet soda will tell your pancreas to make more insulin, which will increase your adiposity (fat deposits) and risk of cardiovascular disease.” Swap your soda (or diet soda) for sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh fruit.

6. Fruit Juice

Sure, even the purest fresh-squeezed fruit juice contains necessary vitamins and minerals, it’s also packed with heart-destroying sugar — one 8-ounce glass of orange juice has more than 20 grams of sugar. “Fruit juices are basically sugar and should be avoided,” Dr. Splaver says.

7. Vegetable Shortening

Although dietary cholesterol doesn’t impact blood cholesterol, saturated fat does. “Saturated fats like vegetable shortening increase inflammation and have a negative impact on your cholesterol parameters, which can cause cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Splaver says. Vegetable shortening is found in lots of packaged food, including wraps, tortillas, and baked goods. Be sure to read your labels for this dangerous saturated fat.

8. Margarine

Along the lines of vegetable oil, margarine is another common saturated fat that can increase inflammation, Dr. Splaver warns. Margarine and butter alternatives were traditionally made with partially hydrogenated oils, which are the most common sources of trans fats and have been linked to heart disease. However, the FDA have deemed trans fans no longer generally recognized as safe, and have ordered all companies to remove trans fats from their food by 2018. Still, margarine is still made mostly of vegetable oils, which could be worse than sugar.

9. Coffee creamer

Even if you’re trying to stay away from dairy, nondairy coffee creamers are not the way to go. They are a common source of hydrogenated oils, aka trans fats. Not only are trans fats inflammatory, but they’ve also been linked to heart disease. Even if all coffee creamers remove their trans fats by 2018, they’re still chock-full of chemicals and sometimes added sugars. Instead, we recommend Coffee Mate’s Natural Bliss creamers or Nutpods dairy-free creamers; they come in delicious flavors and no scary ingredients.

10. Full-fat cheese

Sure, cheese is delicious. But it should be enjoyed in moderation, especially when it comes to your heart health. “Dairy products should be limited because consumption increases inflammation,” Dr. Splaver warns. “In addition, many adults adults have lactose intolerance or sensitivity which can cause gastrointestinal issues.” Full-fat cheddar cheese on average contains about 113 calories and 9 grams of fat (6 grams saturated) per ounce (about a slice).

Previous research has indicated that a moderate amount of alcohol can protect against heart disease.

More than 100 prospective studies have shown an inverse correlation between moderate alcohol intake – defined as no more than one daily drink for women, and no more than two drinks per day for men – and the risk of heart attack, blood clots, stroke, and other adverse cardiovascular events.

Some researchers suggest that the connection is not just observational, but that it can also be backed up scientifically and biologically. Moderate amounts of ethanol seem to raise levels of the “good” kind of cholesterol, which has, in turn, been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

But a new research review contests these findings. The extensive meta-analysis of existing studies was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

The new review examined 45 cohort studies that showed people who drink moderately to be in better health than those who abstain from alcohol, therefore inferring that a moderate intake of alcohol may have positive health effects.

‘Non-drinkers’ may have stopped drinking because of poor health

Although the review confirmed that overall, those who drank moderately at the time they were included in the studies did have a lower risk of heart disease mortality, the results changed when the meta-review looked at people’s drinking habits at a younger age.

Studies of participants aged 55 or younger who were clinically followed into older age found no correlation with alcohol. Additionally, studies that evaluated participants’ heart health at baseline showed no benefits from alcohol.

The researchers point to a major misconception that may have misled the results of these studies: older “non-drinkers” included in the studies were, in fact, former drinkers who quit because of poor health.

In other words, rather than abstaining leading to poorer health, non-drinkers may have chosen to abstain because their health was already poor.

By contrast, “healthy” seniors who enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, the review suggests, are not healthy because they drink, but rather older people who are already in good health are simply more likely to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner because they have no reason not to.

Study researcher Tim Stockwell, Ph.D., director of the Centre for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, explains further:

“We know that people generally cut down on drinking as they age, especially if they have health problems. People who continue to be moderate drinkers later in life are healthier. They’re not sick, or taking medications that can interact with alcohol.”

Another study reviewed by the analysis monitored more than 9,100 adults in the United Kingdom between the ages of 23 and 55 and found very few lifelong alcohol abstainers, thus supporting the idea that non-drinkers had, in fact, chosen to stop drinking because they already were in poor health.

An additional factor that the review brought to light is education. Non-drinkers were found to be less educated overall – and education is known to correlate with a longer lifespan and better health.

Stockwell notes, however, that their review does not prove causality and does not intend to dissuade moderate drinkers from drinking.

“We can’t ‘prove’ it one way or the other. But we can say there are grounds for a healthy skepticism around the idea that moderate drinking is good for you […] The risks of low-level drinking are small, [but] the notion that one or two drinks a day is doing us good may just be wishful thinking.”

The grave for Wilson Oluoch had been dug in his home village near Awendo in Migori county, western Kenya.

Oluoch had gone missing three weeks previously and when a decomposed male body was found in a sugar cane plantation, his family thought it was his.

But shortly before the funeral someone told the family that a man who looked like Wilson had been seen in a bar in nearby Rongo.

His relatives visited the bar and found motorcycle taxi rider Wilson still there, not dead but dead drunk as he tried to drown his sorrows.

He explained that he had felt so ashamed after returning home drunk recently that he had planned to slip away and make a new life elsewhere.

Source:mirror.co.uk