Just one Drink a Day- new Proposal-by Dr Harold Gunatillake

Transcript:

A panel that advises the federal government on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are released every five years by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, recently released a new recommendation that men consume no more than one alcoholic drink per day. Previous guidelines had set two as the limit. The recommendation for women—one drink per day—remains the same.

Alcohol, is a necessary item or poison for humans all over the world.

It is mandatory to enjoy a drink at the end of the day to wind down, or at gatherings to relax and enjoy the company, at functions, weddings, celebrations, and so on.

Just imagine what a party would be without alcohol. It would be like a pub with

Throughout the 10,000 or so years humans have been drinking their own fermented brews. They were then hunter gatherers, and at the end of the day a home- made brew would have relaxed them to enjoy with their families.

So, alcohol could be a tonic, or when abused could be a poison. All depends how much you want to drink. With all good intentions you start with one a day, but with time that one may not be sufficient to relax and the second drink gets into your normal habit of drinking. This is where the trouble starts.

Alcohol has its further benefits in addition to social events. It is said that there may be benefits from moderate consumption of alcohol, to chronic diseases to lower the rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes,  gall stones, and dementia.

Think of the French paradox?

The French paradox is that was announced in late 1980s, summarized the apparently paradoxical epidemiological observation that French people have a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), while having a diet relatively rich in saturated fats, and drinking lot of wine instead of water, in apparent contradiction to the widely held belief that the high consumption of such fats is a risk factor for CHD.

The new panel of health experts advises the US government that even small amounts of alcohol have been linked with several types of cancer.

Why blame alcohol, when there are so many other predisposing factors for cancer, and a moderate amount of alcohol drinking does not seem to be a factor. Excessive habitual drinking, can kill a man with cirrhosis of the liver before he gets cancer.

Prof. Eric Rimm, of the Department of Epidemiology and Nutrition- who headed the panel that created the 2010 guideline recommendations states the August 5, 2020 article in Wine Spectator that the current committee “got it wrong and was overly conservative about their advice for adults that drink moderately, can control their consumption and do not binge drink”

Alcoholic beverages may contribute to weight gain, including belly fat. Alcoholic drinks contain calories but usually no nutrients, and drinking can impair judgment that can lead to poor food choices, among other things. Drinking in excess causes many health problems. Reduce or eliminate alcoholic beverages for a smaller belly and better health overall.

One drink is considered as:

One beer is considered to be 12 ounces.- One glass of wine is 5 ounces

1 ½ ounces of hard liquor. (gin or whisky)

Each of the above delivers about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol on average

One standard drink contains around 14 grams of alcohol. This means, on average, you’ll be consuming nearly 100 calories per alcoholic beverage

Blood pressure medication:

Those who are on medication for high blood pressure, must be overly cautious in drinking any alcohol Are you on a beta-blocker for high blood pressure? Alcohol will decrease the effects of such drugs and your blood pressure may go out of control. Those who have had a heart attack, and being treated for heart failure, or having irregular heart rhythm should really avoid strong drinks.

Those who are on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) to control high blood pressure have to be careful, too. Alcohol over-react with ACE-inhibitors and may lower the blood pressure to dangerous levels. Of course, if you take these drugs in the morning having a drink late at night may not react to a serious situation. When your blood pressure drops too low the brain may not get sufficient blood and you’ll feel dizzy and faint, and that wouldn’t be fun when enjoying with friends at a party.

Birth control pill: Those ladies on birth control pills should be incredibly careful in consuming over one glass of alcohol. Alcohol seems to get detoxified in the liver at a slower rate and may have a double effect.

Should diabetics drink alcohol?

One or two drinks of alcoholic beverage will increase the blood sugar level. More drinks will actually decrease your blood sugar.

Beer and wine contain carbohydrates and may raise blood sugar. Alcohol stimulate your appetite, which can cause you to overeat and may affect your blood sugar level.

If your diabetes is well controlled an occasional drink may be beneficial. You must check with your doctor whether an occasion drink or two is safe for you.

Consuming alcohol among diabetics drops the blood sugar level and dehydrates you. This reaction may last for about 24 hours. You need to eat some food with carbs like rice and curry after consuming alcohol.

If you are on metformin you need to be incredibly careful drinking alcohol. It tends to cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis, where lactic acid level in the blood could rise: you end up in a coma and needs to be hospitalised immediately.

Some of the oral drugs used for diabetes like glimepiride and sulfonylurea can interact with alcohol and lower your blood sugar level.

A study done in 2011 by Harvard University of 38,000 middle-aged adult men found that drinking one or two beers a day would reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 25%.

Do not confuse these findings with those having diabetes. The alcohol contained in the beer increases a drinker’s sensitivity to insulin, which has the result of helping to prevent the onset of diabetes.

The best alcoholic drinks that has fewer calories and carbs for diabetes is light beer and dry wines. It is best to avoid neat liquor.

As I said earlier, only one drink per day.

Drugs used for acid reflux

Drugs used for GERD: Those who suffer from gastric reflux of acid and heartburn should avoid even one alcoholic drink. Alcohol in such people can erode the stomach lining, cause gastritis, and even cause bleeding.

Those suffering from stomach ulcers should avoid alcohol totally.

Pain-killers: Some over the counter drugs like Panadol and alcohol can cause liver damage. Aspirin and ibuprofen are considered safe.

Drinking should be avoided if you are on prescription drugs for pain like Vicodin and OxyContin Never drink alcohol when you are on narcotics.

Antidepressants: Antidepressants and alcohol will slow down the central nervous system and impair your thinking and alertness. Some are on Zolot and Prozac. These antidepressants react with alcohol adversely and it is best not to take the drugs when going for an evening party.

Statins: Almost every adult is on statins to reduce lipids in your blood. Statin cause causes liver damage as a side effect and drinking alcohol will damage the liver further. The damage is not noticeable immediately, there are no symptoms in the early stages and you tend to have the extra one at a party.

There are many other drugs that interact with alcohol. It is best to avoid any drug that interacts with alcohol on a festive evening provided you monitor your symptoms during the day, such as checking your BP if you have hypertension.

You need to drink lot of water after drinking alcohol. It is dehydrated that causes immediate damage. Keep sipping water during the night every time you wake up and that could make you feel better on the next morning.

The present study suggested that people who drink just a little- one drink each day, at most- appear to have lower cardiovascular risk, stroke and diabetes than both people who drink more and people who do not drink alcohol at all.

Beer drinking has its advantages- 10 surprising health benefits of drinking beer daily are that it protects your heart from cardiovascular diseases,

Reduces bad cholesterol levels.

Beer contains calcium and vitamins that lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Moderate amounts of beer can reduce your chances of developing cancer ,increases bone density, and help to prevent dementia.

The bottom line is that if you are not suffering from a chronic diseases and not taking medications that interfere with alcohol, the safest drinks would be a glass of beer or a glass of wine.

Hope you enjoyed this video, and until we meet again, Good bye for now.

Website: www.Doctorharold.com

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and whilst the author will endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, eLanka makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the eLanka website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this article for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In otherwords, eLanka In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website / article. Also please note that through this website / web page articles you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of eLanka and therefore we have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them