6 Ways Alcohol os Good for You

[JBeukema]

a study involving almost 40,000 cases, researchers found that in younger patients with less severe injuries, having alcohol in their systems actually prevented the spread of swelling and inflammation in their brains (alcohol suppresses the body's inflammatory response). They go so far as to suggest the possibility of administering ethanol to patients with head injuries in the future

Read more: The 6 Most Surprising Ways Alcohol Is Actually Good for You | Cracked.com
​

The 6 Most Surprising Ways Alcohol Is Actually Good for You | Cracked.com

 

[waltky]

Risks outweigh the benefits...

WHO: Alcohol Abuse Kills 2.5 Million People Each Year
February 11, 2011 - The World Health Organization is calling for action to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, which kills 2.5 million people every year. A new WHO report notes nearly four percent of all global deaths is related to alcohol abuse.

WHO says the harmful use of alcohol now is the third leading risk factor leading to illness and death from non-communicable and communicable disease. It says most alcohol-related deaths are caused by injuries from drunk driving, cancer, liver cirrhosis, heart disease and stroke. It says alcohol abuse also contributes to 200 other diseases. Worldwide, the report finds more than six percent of all male deaths are related to alcohol, compared to just over one percent for females. It says one in five men in the Russian Federation and neighboring countries die from alcohol-related causes.

Director of the Department of Mental Health and substance Abuse at WHO, Shekhar Saxena, says alcohol is responsible for one-third of deaths among young people in some regions of the world. "Consumption and harmful effects of alcohol are increasing in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, which have less powerful regulations and which have less health services available…In Africa and Asia, the trend is for more drinking to be there, more per capital consumption and in Europe and America, it is a more stable pattern of drinking," Saxena said.

In 2005, the report says worldwide per capita consumption of alcohol among persons aged 15 -years or older amounts to 6.13 liters of pure alcohol. Though alcohol use is widespread, WHO notes most people do not drink. Latest information shows almost half of all men and two-thirds of women did not consume alcohol in 2005.

Dr. Saxena says people who are dependent on alcohol live on average 10 years less than those who do not have problems with alcohol. "A large proportion of the deaths and disability because of alcohol is actually in the young and middle ages and not in the old ages. So, I think a large proportion of what we are talking about in the 2.5 million deaths are in the age groups of people who should not die at that age. These are premature deaths…The majority of deaths is below the age of 60," Saxena said.

WHO says its Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol includes a range of proven effective measures. These include raising taxes on alcohol, reducing the number of outlets for buying alcohol, raising the drinking age limit, enacting effective drink-driving measures and banning some alcohol advertising.

Source

 

[waltky]

Lock up whoever gave it to the kid...

3-year-old alcoholic treated by hospital
3/15/2011 - Child had been given alcohol regularly, officials say

Hospital authorities say they have treated a 3-year-old child for alcoholism.

The Heart of England NHS Trust that runs three hospitals in central England confirmed Tuesday that a child had been treated by medical staff after being given alcohol regularly. The trust revealed the data in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act by a newspaper, which requested data on underage drinking.

The case highlights a new low in Britain's struggle to control a binge-drinking culture which has seen alcohol-related deaths double in the past two decades. Chris Sorek of the lobby group, Drinkaware, says Tuesday that any alcohol could disrupt a child's development.

3-year-old alcoholic treated by hospital - Health - Addictions - msnbc.com

 

[waltky]

Drink yer poison...

Alcoholic intake linked to rise in cancer risk: study
Sat, Apr 09, 2011 - CAUSE AND EFFECT:The study looked at data from eight Western European nations and the findings support recommendations for alcohol intake limits

Almost 10 percent of all cancers in men and 3 percent in women in Western Europe are caused by people drinking too much alcohol, scientists said yesterday. German researchers analyzed data from France, Italy, Spain, Britain, The Netherlands, Greece, Germany and Denmark and found 50,400 out of a total of 79,100 cases of certain types of cancers — in including bowel and throat tumors —- in 2008 were caused by people drinking more than recommended limits. “Many cancer cases could have been avoided if alcohol consumption was limited to two alcoholic drinks per day in men and one alcoholic drink per day in women ... the recommendations of many health organizations,” said Madlen Schutze of the German Institute of Human Nutrition, who led the study.

“And even more cancer cases would be prevented if people reduced their alcohol intake to below recommended guidelines or stopped drinking alcohol at all,” she said. A standard drink contains about 12g of alcohol and is equivalent to one 125ml glass of wine or a half pint of beer. “Many people just don’t know that drinking alcohol can increase their cancer risk,” said Sara Hiom, director of health information at the charity Cancer Research UK. She said that in Britain, mouth cancer has become much more common in the last 10 years, and “one reason for this could be because of higher levels of drinking, as this study reflects.”

According to the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, there is a causal link between alcohol consumption and liver cancer, breast cancer colon or bowel cancer, and cancers of the upper digestive tract such as mouth, throat and esophageal cancers. The researchers, whose work was published in the British Medical Journal, used data from research known as the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer study in which 363,988 men and women, mostly aged between 35 and 70 when they joined the study, were followed for cancer from the mid-1990s. They calculated that in 2008, alcohol consumption by men was responsible for about 57,600 cases of cancer of the types known to be linked to drinking. More than half of the cases (33,000) were due to having more than two drinks a day.

Alcohol intake by women in the eight countries caused about 21,500 cases of upper digestive tract, liver, colorectum, and breast cancer, of which more than 80 percent, or 17,400, were due to their having more than one standard drink a day. Manuela Bergmann, who worked with Schutze on the study, said the findings provided solid support for recommended drinking limits and said she hoped more people would stick to them. “It underlines that at the very least, it would be good to stay within the limits,” she said in a telephone interview.

Source

 

[keee keee]

Alcohol is Gods gift to fat and ugly people. helps them get laid!!!

 

[geauxtohell]

#7: A glass of wine the night before delivery induces fetal liver enzymes and reduces fetal physiologic/pathologic jaundice.

 

[Dabs]

I don't care what any list says about beer...I hate the taste of beer.
I like an occasional mixed drink, rarely, but I'm not a beer drinker....I don't mind gents, or ladies, who drink...but beer is not for me~

 

[waltky]

Beer is the elixir of the red-neck.

 

[waltky]

Sop-heads teachin' their kids to be the next generation of alcoholics...

Parents' behaviour 'can influence teen drinking'
6 June 2011 - Children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves, a survey of young teenagers has suggested.

Poor parental supervision also raises the likelihood of teenage drinking, said the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The Ipsos MORI survey found the behaviour of friends is also a powerful factor in predicting drinking habits. The more time teenagers spend with friends, the more likely they are to drink alcohol, it suggested. In a survey of 5,700 children aged 13 to 16, carried out for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, researchers found one in five claimed to have been drunk by the time they were 14. By the age of 16, half of those questioned said they had been drunk.

Influences

But the study also looked at what influences excessive teen drinking - and the habits of parents seem to be particularly powerful. The odds of a teenager getting drunk repeatedly is twice as great if they have seen their parents under the influence, even if only a few times. And the authors say that parental supervision is also important - if parents don't know where their children are on a Saturday night, or let them watch 18 certificate films unsupervised, they are more likely to have had an alcoholic drink. Teenagers' friends also have a significant impact on drinking behaviour.

The odds of a teenager drinking to excess more than double if they spend more than two evenings a week with friends. Spending every evening with friends multiplies the odds of excessive drinking more than four times. Pamela Bremner from Ipsos MORI, the lead author of the report, said: "For the first time in the UK, this study ranks what most influences young people's drinking behaviour. "It found that the behaviour of friends and family is the most common influential factor in determining how likely and how often a young person will drink alcohol."

Conflicting evidence

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Red wine is good for the heart.

 

[waltky]

Makes `em go goofy quicker...

People over 65 should drink less, a report says
21 June 2011 - Experts are warning that older people should cut down on their drinking

Recommended safe limits for drinking alcohol by older people should be drastically cut, according to a report. The Royal College of Psychiatrists says people over 65 should drink a maximum of only 1.5 units of alcohol a day. That is the equivalent of just over about half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine. The report says older drinkers are less able to process alcohol and the drink might also interact with medication they may be taking for other ailments. It warns current advice - 14 units of alcohol for women and 21 for men each week - is based on work with young adults.

A group of experts from the Royal College of Psychiatrists says there is a growing problem with substance abuse among older people, who they describe as society's "invisible addicts". The report says a third those who experience problems with alcohol abuse do so later on in life, often as a result of big changes like retirement, bereavement or feelings of boredom, loneliness and depression. But the extent of the drinking is hidden because unlike younger drinkers, more older people drink in their own homes, the report suggests. The problem is exacerbated by the widespread use - and misuse - of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines among elderly people which can interact badly with alcohol.

Compounding the problems are the changes our bodies undergo as we get older which mean we are less able to cope with the effects of alcohol. The report is calling for the government to issue separate advice on safe drinking limits for older people, with an upper "safe limit" of 1.5 units of alcohol a day, or 11 units per week. They also want GPs to screen every person over the age of 65 for substance misuse, along with health campaigns around drugs and alcohol specifically targeting older people.

Professor Ilana Crome, Professor of Addiction Psychiatry and chair of the group that wrote the report, says it is a hidden problem but one that is growing in scale. "The traditional view is that alcohol misuse is uncommon in older people and that the misuse of drugs is very rare - this is simply not true. "A lack of awareness means that GPs and other healthcare professionals often overlook or discount the signs when someone has a problem. "We hope this report highlights the scale of the problem, and that the multiple medical and social needs of this group of people are not ignored any longer."

Coping mechanism

 

[Magnum2]

I don't drink at all now. When i did, it turned me into an idiot.

 

[waltky]

Granny says young ladies not s'posed to drink - it'll turn ya into a floozie...

Binge drinking 'can damage memory skills' in teen girls
15 July 2011 - Adolescent girls could be risking damage to their brains if they binge drink.

Teenagers - especially girls - who binge drink could be damaging the part of their brain which controls memory and spatial awareness, say Californian researchers. Young women's brains are particularly vulnerable to harm from alcohol because they develop earlier than men's. Tests on 95 adolescents aged 16 to 19 were carried out by researchers at several US universities. The study is published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Researchers recruited 27 binge-drinking males and 13 females and gave them neurophsychological tests and "spatial working memory" tests to complete. Binge-drinking young women were defined as those drinking more than three pints of beer or more than four glasses of wine at one sitting. Binge-drinking men drank four pints of beer or a bottle of wine. The same tests were then carried out on 31 males and 24 females who did not have episodes of drinking heavily and the results compared.

Using MRI scans, the study team found that female teenage heavy drinkers had less brain activation in several brain regions than female non-drinking teens when doing the same spatial task. They suggested that this could cause problems when driving, playing sports involving complex moves, using a map or remembering how to get somewhere. Susan Tapert, professor of psychiatry at the University of California and lead study author, said these differences in brain activity negatively affected other functions, like concentration and "working memory".

The study describes "working memory" as using and working with information that is in your mind, like adding up numbers. It is also critical to logical thinking and reasoning. But the young men studied were not affected to the same extent, Dr Tapert said. "Male binge drinkers showed some, but less, abnormality as compared to male non-drinkers. This suggests that female teens may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of heavy alcohol use."

Fluctuations

 

[Mad Scientist]

Your body has no real need for alcohol and can't synthesize it into anything it can use so why bother drinking at all?

 

[Sunshine]

Doesn't seem to make you a better typist.

 

[waltky]

Alcohol does it's damage by blocking key receptors in the brain and triggering production of a steroid that interferes with brain functions critical to learning and memory...

Study shows how binge drinking harms memory
16 July`11 - Binge drinking may not necessarily kill or even damage brain cells, as commonly thought, a new animal study suggests.

But it can block key receptors in the brain and trigger production of a steroid that interferes with brain functions critical to learning and memory, according to researchers. Neuroscientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis argued their findings not only shed light on exactly what is happening when alcohol-induced "blackouts" occur, but could also lead to strategies to help improve memory. The scientists examined slices of the brains of rats exposed to alcohol to determine how it affected them. The study, published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that large amounts of alcohol affect the hippocampus and other areas of the brain involved in cognitive functions, such as memory formation.

Plagued by excessive alcohol, key receptors in the brain are blocked and later others are activated, producing steroids that undermine long-term potentiation (LTP), a process that strengthens the connections between neurons and is essential to learning and memory. "It takes a lot of alcohol to block LTP and memory," study senior investigator Dr. Charles F. Zorumski, the Samuel B. Guze Professor and head of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis's Department of Psychiatry, said in a university news release. "But the mechanism isn't straightforward. The alcohol triggers these receptors to behave in seemingly contradictory ways, and that's what actually blocks the neural signals that create memories."

"It also may explain why individuals who get highly intoxicated don't remember what they did the night before," he added. The study's authors pointed out only about half of these key brain receptors are blocked by alcohol. Some are activated, which triggers the production of the steroids that interrupt memory formation. "Alcohol isn't damaging the cells in any way that we can detect," explained Zorumski. "As a matter of fact, even at the high levels we used here, we don't see any changes in how the brain cells communicate. You still process information. You're anesthetized. You haven't passed out. But you're not forming new memories." The researchers also noted that consumption of other drugs, along with alcohol, is more likely to cause blackouts than either substance alone.

The researchers found, however, that by blocking the production of steroids with drugs used to shrink an enlarged prostate gland, they could preserve the LTP crucial to memory formation in the rats. "We would expect there may be some differences in the effects of alcohol on patients taking these drugs," said Izumi. "Perhaps men taking the drugs would be less likely to experience intoxication blackouts." The researchers plan further study of these drugs to determine if they could play a role in preserving memory.

More information: NIAAA Home, the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides more information on the effects of alcohol on the brain.

Source

 

[Colin]

Cabernet Sauvignon is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. It can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Cabernet Sauvignon almost immediately and, with a regimen of regular doses, you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had.

Stop hiding and start living.

Cabernet Sauvignon may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use it. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.

WARNINGS:
* The consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
* The consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
* The consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may cause you to think you can sing.
* The consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may make you think you can converse enthusiastically with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
* The consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

Now just imagine what you could achieve with a good Shiraz .........

 

[editec]

In moderation I do not doubt one bit alcohol can be part of a healthy diet.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "All ye kids lissen up - stop dat drinkin' or it'll make ya goofy like Uncle Ferd...

Student Binge Drinking Linked to Brain Damage, Injuries
July 26, 2011 - Peak alcohol abuse often occurs when brain is still developing

New studies link student binge drinking to brain damage and drunken blackouts to higher rates of injury. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 42 percent of American college students engage in what’s known as “binge” drinking. Tim McQueeny, a doctoral student in the Psychology Department at the University of Cincinnati says scientists are taking notice, and for good reason. “The peak years of alcohol use are during the years when the brain is still developing, especially 18 to 25 when substance use, such as binge drinking, is most prevalent," he says. "That’s four drinks for girls and five or more for guys.”

Effects on the brain

McQueeny and his advisor, assistant professor Krista Lisdahl Medina, are especially interested in how binge drinking affects the brain during this critical period of development. “We looked at a very high-resolution picture of the brain, where we can actually measure what’s called cortical thickness," says Lisdahl Medina. "So this is a measure of basically how thick their brain matter is.” They found that binge-drinking was linked to a thinning of the pre-frontal cortex, a region of the brain with a long list of critical functions including: decision making, controlling attention, the ability to inhibit responses, considering consequences, monitoring one's environment, acting appropriately and inhibiting impulses.

Blackouts and injuries

Another team of U.S. and Canadian scientists is also trying to measure the health consequences of student binge drinking. Dr. Michael Fleming's team, from Chicago's Feinburg School of Medicine, monitored the occurrence of alcohol-induced blackouts and drinking-related injuries among almost 1,000 students at five universities over a two-year period.

“A blackout is a true period of amnesia, it’s a transient acute memory loss that can last from a couple hours to longer, depending on how much you drank," says Fleming. "So, we wanted to know whether that put students, in particular college students, at higher risk for injury.”

They found that it did. According to Fleming, one in four students accidentally harmed themselves while drinking. And as the number of blackouts rose, so did the rate of physical injuries. Other studies support these findings. A national comprehensive study found that, in 2001, almost 600,000 college students were injured as a result of alcohol use.

Intervention

 

[uscitizen]

Moonshine will run your lawn mower.