ALCOHOL AWARENESS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

by James Miller

With April being Alcohol Awareness month I thought would be a great time to just take a moment and hit upon this really important subject. Now I know many of you are probably rolling your eyes right now and getting ready to close the blog but just hear me out! I’m not preaching to you to abandon alcohol all 1920’s temperance movement-like nor I’m not going to tell you alcohol is the Devil’s nectar, etc. So just breathe ease and keep reading. What I do want to call out in the article is that alcohol, like many things in this world is good in moderation and bad in excess; very bad in excess as you will see. And since this is national alcohol awareness month, and a lot of people take in a lot of alcohol, whether it be at the end of a long work day or in celebration of the weekend, I think it’s a great time to breach this subject.

First of all, alcohol in moderation is actually good for you for various reasons. I personally take it in small doses in hot tea when I’m sick. Most people call this a hot toddy. I grew up on them and they do help. In fact my Soothing Syrup original formula has a very small amount of brandy in it (2.5%). And like Smitty says, it’s a humdinger! But I digress.

Here are some of the benefits of taking alcohol in moderation:

  • May raise good HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream (2)
  • Linked to reduced risk of heart disease (2) (by raising good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol)
  • Can boost brain power (3) (by raising good cholesterol, brain flow to the brain improves)
  • Reduces risk of gallstones (3) (by increasing good cholesterol in the bladder)
  • Reduce stress and anxiety temporarily (2) (as people say, it ‘takes the edge off’)
  • Appears to reduce insulin resistance (3) (fighting the main symptoms of diabetes)
  • Can improve your libido (2)
  • Can help prevent against the common cold (2)

As already stated, the above are possible benefits of drinking alcohol in MODERATION. The problem with alcohol is it is very addictive and according to statistics, more than 15 million people struggle with alcoholism in the Unites States. (4)

Some other alarming stats associated with heavy drinking include:

  • Alcohol-impaired driving accounts for more than 30% of all driving fatalities in the US each year (4)
  • More than 65 million Americans reported binge drinking in the past month (4)
  • Drunk driving costs the US more than $199 billion every year (4)
  • Cirrhosis of the liver, is irreversible and associated with numerous health issues (2)
  • Increased risk of dementia (2)
  • Linked with depression (2)
  • Linked with weight gain/obesity (alcohol is the second highest calorie-rich nutrient after fat) (2)
  • Increased risk for heart disease (2)
  • Increased risk of various kinds of cancer (5)
  • Increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure and immune system compromise (5)

If you take a moment and compare the two lists above, many of the very things that alcohol is GOOD for if taken in moderation are the same things that it is BAD for if abused. Remember that.

So please drink in moderation and reap the benefits. Some people struggle with drinking in moderation however and those folks need to take a long look at the list of health risks associated with doing so and ask themselves if its all worth it. I only say this out of concern because at Bucklebury, we believe your best wealth is your health! Thank you for your time today and until next time, good day!

Sources:
1. https://www.medicaldaily.com/7-health-benefits-drinking-alcohol-247552
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/alcohol-good-or-bad#section4
3. https://www.livestrong.com/article/557658-5-hidden-health-benefits-of-alcohol/
4. https://talbottcampus.com/alcoholism-statistics/
5. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body

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