According to a new study, moderate drinking improves heart health from heart disease. Its capacity to suppress tension signals in the brain is one of the reasons for this. However, experts say that drinking alcohol is not a safe way to lower the risk of heart disease.
Alcohol can cause various other health issues, including cancer, high blood pressure, and drug use disorder. Lifestyle changes, such as healthier diet, sleep, and exercise, are more effective and safer ways to lower the risk.
According to a recent study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 70th Annual Scientific Session, moderate drinking improves heart health and lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
For women, moderate drinking means no more than one alcoholic beverage per day. It equalled two drinks a day for men.
This was compared to people who did not drink alcohol or drank excessively. This is the first research to show that moderate drinking improve heart health by reducing stress.
Does Moderate Drinking Improve Heart Health Problems?
Some studies have shown that moderate drinking improve heart health. It also lowers the risk of dying from heart disease.
According to McEvoy, it is difficult to determine cause and effect from these studies. People who drink red wine can have higher incomes associated with more education and easier access to healthy foods. Red wine drinkers could also be more likely to eat a heart-healthy diet.
There is some evidence that moderate alcohol consumption can help to increase levels of “good” HDL cholesterol slightly. Reaearchers, in particular, recommend red wine to protect the heart due to the antioxidants it contains.
However, you do not need to pop a cork to reap those benefits. Exercise can also increase HDL cholesterol levels. And you can find antioxidants in foods like fruits, vegetables, and grape juice.
Alcohol’s Effects on Your Heart
There is no hard and fast evidence of moderate drinking improve heart health. According to Steven Nissen, MD, chair of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, most research in this area is observational. So far, these studies have shown no clear cause-and-effect relationship.
Broadly active agents, such as alcohol, do many things in the body. And we don’t know what is responsible for the benefits.
However, when adults drink in moderation, the heart appears to benefit in three ways, according to Nissen:
- Increased HDL. Moderate alcohol intake can help to boost HDL or “healthy” cholesterol levels.
- Reduced clotting. Alcohol is an anticoagulant, which means it makes blood less acidic and less likely to clot.
- Reduced Inflammation. Alcohol can also help to reduce inflammation, which is linked to heart attacks and strokes.
Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston discovered that moderate drinkers have a 25 to 40% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and death.
The Wine Myth
People around the world widely thought that red wine is the healthiest form of alcoholic beverage. This is because resveratrol, a potent antioxidant, is present. However, one type of alcohol can be just as good for your heart as another.
There isn’t a shred of proof that it [resveratrol] does something, says Nissen. And if it does, it was found in animal studies. To do anything, people will have to drink litres of red wine every day.
According to the American Heart Association, the advantages of wine may be other dietary habits of those who drink wine, such as consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables but less fat.
Overall, moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Still, wine has no more cardio-protective benefits than beer or spirits.
In addition, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in July 2014 showed that having higher levels of resveratrol in the urine from foods like red wine or grapes did not affect inflammation, cardiovascular disease, or mortality in adults 65 and older.
Cardiologist Michael Blazing says that red wine contains antioxidants that beer and hard liquor do not. But you can obtain the same antioxidants from grape juice.
One of the most important things to know about alcohol is that moderation is important. According to the National Institutes of Health, low-risk drinking means no more than 7 drinks a week for healthy people. And on any one day, low-risk means no more than 4 drinks for men and 3 drinks for women.
What Constitutes One Drink?
- 12 ounces (oz.) beer (5 percent alcohol)
- 8–9 oz. malt liquor (7 percent alcohol)
- 5 oz. wine (12 percent alcohol)
- 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof alcohol, such as whiskey, gin, rum, or vodka
The majority of studies have been conducted on people in their forties and fifties. Alcohol is metabolized differently in those over the age of 65. So they can consume less alcohol.
Two beers at 70 are the same as four drinks at 50. We advise patients that it’s fine to have one drink a day that’s good for their heart health.
However, studies show that having too much of a good thing can be harmful. One research from the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, shows the differences between moderate drinking and binge drinking. Researchers gave the mice the equivalent of two drinks a day, seven drinks on two days of the week (simulating weekend binge drinking), or no alcohol at all.
In lab studies, mice given moderate amounts of alcohol had 40% lower LDL levels, or bad cholesterol, than mice given no alcohol. Moreover, after moderate alcohol consumption, HDL cholesterol increased. Moreover, the amount of plaque in the arteries was decreased, as was the level of inflammation. The mice given high alcohol levels (equivalent to seven drinks, two days per week) had an increase in good cholesterol. Still, other indicators for heart disease, such as bad cholesterol, increased as well — by 20% — while plaque and the number of inflammatory cells increased.
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to a variety of health problems in people. Taking an extra drink or two for celebratory purposes is appropriate on occasion. However, there are times when you do not consume any alcohol at all.
When a patient has an alcohol-related illness, such as liver damage or hepatitis C, they can never drink. According to Blazing, people on such medications, such as narcotics and benzodiazepines (for anxiety), should also avoid alcohol. The combination of alcohol and blood thinners, which are often used to treat deep vein thrombosis or atrial fibrillation, may increase the risk of intestinal bleeding.
Too much alcohol is not good for your heart or any other part of your body. If you drink, a little bit is good. If you don’t drink, it’s not worth starting if you don’t drink to reap the benefits.
The Bottom Line
Suppose you already have one of the above heart problems or a family history of heart disease or stroke. In that situation, the cardiologist and physician will advise you to limit or avoid alcohol consumption. You may also be advised to stop drinking alcohol if you are taking medications that can cause potentially dangerous, even life-threatening risks when combined with even a small amount of alcohol.
