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Moderate Alcohol Can Promote Heart Health

According to a compilation of 30 years of research, an alcoholic drink a day can help ward off heart diseases and improve overall heart health and function.

The study which has been published in the British Medical Journal found that there was a reduction of  14% to 25%  in heart diseases in moderate drinkers compared with people who had never drink alcohol.

Another article, by the same Canadian scientist at the University of Calgary, showed alcohol also increased “good” cholesterol levels.

This review showed that the overall risk of death was lower for those consuming small quantities of alcohol, 2.5g to 14.9g, compared with non-drinkers. The researchers also say regular moderate drinking reduced all forms of cardiovascular disease by up to 25%.

It is important to note that this is a slippery slope as what we consider moderate may mean different things to different people. In fact, while consuming small quantities of alcohol had a beneficial effect on the number of strokes, the risk increased significantly with heavier drinking. Heavier drinking is also a leading cause of liver cirrhosis. A little bit does you good, but a lot does you harm

For non-drinkers, this should not be a license to start. Being physically active, adapting stress reducing techniques like prayer or yoga, and eating a balanced diet can help you achieve the same effect.[ad#Adsense-200by200sq]

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Pregnancy, Cigarettes and Alcohol

Pregnancy is a risky time when the slightest deviation from a healthy lifestyle can cause a lot of damage to the unborn child’s future.

Drinking alcohol when you’re pregnant can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome. And smoking too poses a threat to the unborn child.

Women who smoke are in fact twice as likely to have an extra-uterine pregnancy and three times as likely to suffer a miscarriage.

Causing facial abnormalities, delayed growth, malformations of the cranium and the brain, foetal alcohol syndrome can result in serious damage to the nervous system which in turn leads to delayed intellectual development.

The risk of premature birth is also greatly increased if a pregnant woman drinks alcohol.

Smoking too is harmful to the unborn child. The placenta transmits almost everything the mother consumes to the foetus and the mother’s blood will be loaded with carbon monoxide and nicotine.

Carbon monoxide is particularly toxic and slows down foetal development. Nicotine also acts as an intoxicant on the unborn child who, once born, is likely to suffer from withdrawal syndrome.

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