ALCOHOL AND ITS BENEFITS?

Well it's for real. Alcohol, though largely criticized, has some unadvertised benefits and unconventional uses. This article is does not in any way seek to promote, recommend nor encourage readers to engage in drinking. It merely seeks to discuss  alcohol from a unique perspective of its benefits. These benefits, however, are only tenable when alcohol is taken in moderate quantities. 

Most people are aware of the risks of alcohol intake and alcoholism. Well if you aren't  there’s a scary list  that is enough to discourage anyone from even standing beside a bottle of alcohol on a shelf. In spite of this, alcohol may have some benefits but the decision to drink or not to drink should be carefully made after an informed risk versus benefit analysis. Here are some them.

Alcohol is good for the heart

This is especially true for red wine. When red wine is taken in moderate amounts, it aids the conversion of bad cholesterol (LDL) to good cholesterol (HDL) which protects the heart from lots of diseases like angina pectoris, heart attacks etc. Consumption of higher quantities of alcohol reverses this benefit and is thus harmful because LDL production predominates.

Additionally, alcohol has direct benefits on the heart itself. The effect may not really from ethanol (alcohol) itself, but from the antioxidants contained in the ingredients used in making the wine. These benefits can also be obtained simply by eating fruits and vegetables so choose wisely.

Dental hygiene

Drinks like rum and Vodka which have a high concentration of alcohol are good for dental health for two reasons. First, the strong alcohol kills the bacteria in the mouth, reducing the risk of mouth infections, plaques and dental caries. This also reduces the chances of developing holes in the teeth.

Secondly, bad breath is produced by decomposition and partial digestion of food particles by enzymes and bacteria in the mouth. This may be reduced by such forms of alcohol which kill these bacteria. Also, some drinks have a nice aroma that may also give off a nice breath. For most others like beers, well… I wouldn’t recommend. Note that you don’t have to swallow the drink to reap the dental benefits but who buys whisky to spit it out.

Social lubricant

Most people would admit that alcohol helps them mix with people better. Although the nature and content of alcohol fueled conversations may be subject to less self-control. Low doses of alcohol however, does indeed make one gregarious and friendly.

Anti-ageing

Most people who are known for drinking certainly don’t look good due to negligence. However, special antioxidants in wine like reservatol and phytochemicals combat signs of ageing as well as increasing energy levels.

Insecticide

Yep! I can imagine the expression on your face right now! But it is true. Most People don’t know that alcohol could be used as an insecticide. You can make a home make up to a gallon of insecticide using a few teaspoons of vodka. This and other tips would comprise our next post which is titled “Unusual uses of common things”.

Other benefits include

Other benefits of moderate drinking can be illustrated by the results of a the Nurses’ Health Study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and other studies, gallstones and type 2 diabetes were less likely to occur in moderate drinkers than in non-drinkers. The emphasis here, as elsewhere, is still on moderate drinking.

 So how much alcohol exactly is enough alcohol?

• 285 ml (half-pint) of regular beer (4.8% alcohol content)
• 375 ml (one stubby) of mid-strength beer (3.5% alcohol content)
• 100 ml (or one small glass) of table wine (approx. 13.5% alcohol content)
• ·30 ml of spirits (approximately 40% alcohol content) plus mixer.

So should I start or continue drinking? 

A Harvard University study recommends “If you don’t drink, there’s no need to start. You can get similar benefits with exercise (beginning to exercise if you don’t already or boosting the intensity and duration of your activity) or healthier eating. If you are a man with no history of alcoholism who is at moderate to high risk for heart disease, a daily alcoholic drink could reduce that risk. Moderate drinking might be especially beneficial if you have low HDL that just won’t budge upward with diet and exercise

In view of its overwhelmingly negative reputation and considering the complex and varied nature and  response of people to alcohol, as well as the plethora of health risks not mentioned here, it is not just unwise but criminal to make blanket comments and recommendations about alcohol intake. I would, however, say this. The decision to drink or not to drink rests ultimately on you. Weigh the risks against the potential benefits and choose wisely.