You’ve heard it often, alcohol is good for the heart. A bit of red wine here and there is going to protect you from a heart attack, so enjoying yourself is good, right? For some people this is true but for others, it doesn’t apply. When engaged in moderate drinking which is defined as a drink each day for women and two for men there are benefits for your heart. What is considered a serving size for a “moderate drink”?
- 12 oz beer
- 12 oz wine cooler
- 5 oz wine
- 1.5 oz 80-proof liquor
For light drinkers who can handle their alcohol, there are benefits including:
- Raising good cholesterol
- Reduces risk for blood clotting which helps the heart pump more efficiently, but does cause bleeding to increase
- Protects against damage from bad cholesterol
The conundrum is this, those who aren’t heavy drinkers may also live healthier lifestyles than those who drink more. Additionally, if alcohol is not part of your current indulgences, there is no need to add alcohol into your diet to reap some of its minimal benefits. Simply engaging in healthy habits is enough. That means when you eat a whole food diet, exercise often, sleep well, and reduce stress, you are going to gain similar, healthier benefits to taking in a bit of alcohol.
Heavy Drinking And Health
If you have a history of a toxic relationship with alcohol, it is best to stay away from it altogether. Not only does heavy drinking not help the heart at all, excessive and regular alcohol use can damage it. Too much alcohol can cause you to develop cardiomyopathy, a disease that makes it difficult for your heart to pump blood. This stress can cause heart failure.
It isn’t just your heart muscle that degrades with too much alcohol. Liver disease, cancer, raised blood pressure, and peptic ulcers can also develop. Studies show that those who drink heavily also engage in other unhealthy activities significantly impacting their well-being.
Chronic drinking is not good for your mental or physical health. If you are not a regular drinker but binge drink when you do consume alcohol, this is also unhealthy and will cause damage to your body. In addition, drinking is not recommended for people who have the following health issues:
- Heart failure
- Cardiomyopathy
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Irregular heart rhythm
- High risk for stroke
- High triglycerides
- Pregnant women
- Individuals on certain medications
Find Help For Alcohol Addiction In Tennessee
There are people who able to drink socially without drinking too much. On the other hand, there are many individuals who struggle with their relationship with alcohol. If you or a loved one has an alcohol addiction issue, the sooner you obtain help the better. Alcohol can not only cause mental and physical disease, but it can also wreck lives, relationships, and it can kill you.
The medical detox and addiction alternative treatment center at Discovery Place in Tennessee will help you wean off of alcohol safely and smoothly. We will give you the support and tools you need to get sober and stay sober. Discovery Place’s Tennessee addiction alternative treatment center is located near the rolling hills and the calming countryside of Tennessee.
Call our Tennessee detox alternative treatment center anytime to get answers to your questions to find out how to visit us at 1-800-725-0922.
