Sugar Blossom

A Drink a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

Research extending back as far as 1926 when Dr. Raymond Pearl published his book Alcohol and Longevity has demonstrated that drinking in moderation is associated with a longer life span than is either abstaining or abusing alcohol. One possible explanation is the effect of alcohol on cardiovascular disease. Moderate alcohol consumption increases your level of “good cholesterol” (HDL), clot-dissolving capacity, coronary blood ?ow, and insulin sensi­tivity while decreasing blood clotting and ?brinogen (a blood-clotting compound) and artery spasms related to stress, all of which are good for heart health. Moreover, studies have found the risk of Alzheimer’s disease to be as much as 75 percent lower among drinkers, whether they drank more or less than the limits recom­mended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), leading researchers to conclude that moderate alcohol consumption may be protective.

De?ning a drink as one 12-ounce beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, or 1 ounce of 100-proof liquor, the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has reported that the greatest health and longevity bene?ts result from one to two drinks per day. In other words, moderate drinkers live lon­ger than both abstainers and overconsumers, a ?nding backed by research in various other countries as well. The bene?ts are found in both middle-aged and older men and women, but are rapidly lost when too much alcohol is drunk on a daily basis. Make sure to limit yourself to one (for women) or two (for men) drinks a day.

Action Steps for Better Health Tip

Drinking moderately may enhance your longevity, with “moderation” being no more than one alcoholic drink daily for women and two for men. A drink is de?ned as one 12-ounce beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, or 1 ounce of 100-proof liquor.