Alcohol: Excellent for the Heart

[eagleseven]

BBC News - Alcohol 'protects men's hearts'

Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests.

The Spanish research involving more than 15,500 men and 26,000 women found large quantities of alcohol could be even more beneficial for men.

Female drinkers did not benefit to the same extent, the study in Heart found.

iSalud!

 

[Modbert]

Salud!

http://www.usmessageboard.com/food-and-wine/95317-six-beers-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away.html

 

[JW Frogen]

Booze can be a blessing.

Sober Nieztche died insane while wine glugging Socrates could drink and think any man under the table and died so sane it has entranced Western civilization ever since.

Hitler totaled his tea and Europe while drunken Churchill saved it.

Alexander the Grape, eeerrr ummm, the Great, could not have conquered without it.

Grant needed John Barleycorn to wade into Lee's Confederacy.

Dionysus is a euphoric God, but not a merciful one, let me tell you.

He gives, and he takes.

 

[eagleseven]

Somehow, I knew you would find this thread, JW...

Nice!

 

[Dimitri89]

Its really interesting. But this is not a good heuristic. I mean, it was said the chocolate removes
clotting from blood but the side effects were on stomach and of course, liver. Now the alcohol is
good for heart but not for kidneys. did you got the point?
Its a poison I consider.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Sop-heads lissen up - it's bad fer the brain...

Moderate to binge drinking can hurt brain
Oct. 25,`12 (UPI) -- Moderate to binge drinking -- drinking less during the week and more on weekends -- reduces the structural integrity of the adult brain, U.S. researchers say.

Lead author Megan Anderson, a graduate student working with Tracey J. Shors, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, and postdoctoral fellow Miriam Nokia of the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, said a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent -- the U.S. legal driving limit -- affected brain cell production negatively.

At this drinking level -- comparable to about three to four drinks for women and five drinks for men -- the number of nerve cells in the hippocampus of the brain in rodents with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 were reduced by nearly 40 percent compared to those in the abstinent group of rodents, the study found.

This level of alcohol intake was not enough to impair the motor skills of either male or female rats or prevent them from associative learning in the short-term, but it resulted in a substantial decrease in brain cell numbers over time that could have profound effects on brain health. The study was published online and was scheduled to be published in the journal Neuroscience Nov. 8.

Read more: Moderate to binge drinking can reduce brain cells - UPI.com

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - is a good idea when drunk...

NTSB: Require ignition locks for all drunk drivers
11 Dec.`12 WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal safety board is recommending that all states require ignition interlock devices for convicted drunk drivers, including first-time offenders.

The five-member National Transportation Safety Board said the devices are currently the best available solution to reducing drunk driving deaths, which account for about a third of the nation's 32,000 traffic deaths each year.

In particular, the board cited a new study by its staff that found some 360 people a year are killed in wrong-way driving crashes on high-speed highways. The study concluded that 69 percent of wrong-way drivers had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit of .08.

Seventeen states already have laws requiring use of the device by all convicted drunk drivers.

NTSB: Require ignition locks for all drunk drivers - Yahoo! News

 

[waltky]

Granny says if ya can't stop till ya's plastered - ya is a sop-head...

Alcohol dependency: When social drinking becomes a problem
14 December 2012 - Alcohol-related health issues among baby boomers are on the rise. Daily drinking can start off as a social event but turn into dependency, addiction experts say. So when does social drinking become alcoholism?

In the festive season, with office parties, Christmas, and new year, there is opportunity aplenty for yet another tipple. Since the 1950s, alcohol consumption in the UK has gradually increased. The NHS now spends more on alcohol-related illness among baby boomers than any other age group, with £825m spent on 55 to 74-year-olds in 2010-11 compared to £64m on under-24s. Estimates also suggest about nine per cent of men and three per cent of women in the UK show signs of alcohol dependence. But it is the functioning alcoholic that can slip under the radar - before their health issues are severe enough to need treatment.

Straight vodka

Dr John Marsden, an alcohol and drug dependency expert from King's College London, says a typical functioning alcoholic can manage to hold down a job despite having a "very severe drinking problem that they have been incubating over a very long period". "Alcohol problems are difficult to understand because they do not occur overnight. They are hidden from view which makes functioning alcoholics a group we cannot easily help."

Rob C, who is 61, was one of them. At his worst he was drinking 1.5 litres of straight vodka per day. "Then I began to suffer blackouts, losing whole days and not remembering anything." He would be first to arrive at work, which made him able to set out his "drinks for the day with what looked like a bottle of mineral water". "I would hide bottles around the office. You think nobody else knows, that it doesn't smell, that you're getting away with it. But of course they did notice."

Life saver

For several years, maintaining a full-time finance job, he drank increasingly more during the day. What started as a social pastime nearly cost him his relationship. Now sober for eight years, looking back he says that even if a colleague had said something at the time, he would not have listened. "I resented the changes at work and told myself I deserved a drink. I would buy wine at lunchtime and drink it from a polystyrene cup." Wine turned to vodka for a "bigger kick" and lunchtime turned to morning through to night. Early retirement on medical grounds made his addiction worse. It was only when his partner threatened to kick him out that he sought help with Alcoholics Anonymous, who he says saved his life.
sease will keep rising.

MORE

 

[uscitizen]

So the heart is strong but the brain rots away?
At last an explanation for the rise of the Tea Party.

 

[50_RiaL]

Sign me up -- hiccup

 

[waltky]

Drinking Takes Toll On US Service members...

US military’s alcohol-soaked culture taking toll on servicemembers
December 26, 2012 - WASHINGTON — Thomas Brennan was still unloading his bags at his first duty station when he saw the other Marines drinking on the catwalks.

“In a way, I expected it,” he said. “A bunch of people partying, having a good time, getting ready to go to war.” Brennan, now a sergeant who will be medically retired this month, said drinking and partying in the barracks isn’t quite as obvious now. Marines know they will be punished if they get caught drinking underage or drinking hard liquor in the barracks, he said. But that doesn’t mean the drinking has stopped. People just keep their doors closed, he said, and if the platoon sergeant is coming at 6:30 a.m. for inspection, “that means all the evidence is gone by 6:15.”

While some military doctors say they don’t believe troops binge drink or abuse alcohol more than their civilian counterparts, a recent report by the Institute of Medicine called drugs and alcohol abuse among troops a “public health crisis.” A report released by the Army in January reported that 43 percent of active-duty soldiers had admitted binge drinking within a month of the survey and that 67 percent of the binge drinkers were 17 to 25 years old.

The military’s alcohol-soaked culture plays out on weekends and on weeknights, in the apartments of noncommissioned officers, where subordinates guzzle liquor straight from the bottle; at bars in military towns, where recently promoted officers are expected to pick up the tab for the other officers in their command; in hotel rooms packed with underage servicemembers, where men and women wake up with hangovers and few memories of the night before; and at officers clubs and pubs around the world, where commanders buy rounds and rounds of beer to build camaraderie and esprit de corps.

It also shows up in war zones, where alcohol is prohibited but frequently comes hidden in mouthwash bottles or given to troops after battle. Brennan recalls the Marines in his unit — all ages — being given two beers and a shot to celebrate the Marine Corps birthday after the battle of Fallujah. No one is required to drink — at least not exactly.

MORE

See also:

Military to subject Marines to random Breathalyzer tests in strict anti-drinking crackdown
December 26, 2012 WASHINGTON – The U.S. military next month plans to start subjecting Marines to random Breathalyzer tests, as part of its strictest anti-drinking policy to date. Even one drink could get a Marine referred for counseling.

The initiative, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013, is part of a broader program aimed at stopping Marines from underage drinking and drinking while on duty. They will be required to take the tests twice a year. “Breathalyzer testing will enable commanders to test 100 percent of the Marines in their unit in order to take appropriate actions related to the health and safety of Marines such as training, education and referral to substance abuse counseling,” spokesman Maj. Shawn Haney told FoxNews.com. Under the Marine order, monthly reports will be kept by each unit and quarterly reports will be submitted to Marine Corps headquarters. It’s up to the unit commander whether he or she wants to hand down additional punishment.

Any Marine who tests positive at .01 percent or higher, under the policy, could be referred by a commander for "training, education and further screening" at a substance abuse center. If a Marine tests .04 percent or higher, he or she will be referred to medical personnel to determine whether they are fit for duty. The maximum blood alcohol level for driving in all 50 states and the District of Columbia is 0.08 percent -- much higher than the limit the Marines will impose on their personnel. Just one drink could easily bring the level to 0.01 percent, but some say such a strict crackdown is necessary. In 2011, there were 13 alcohol-related deaths among Marines.

A study by the U.S. Institute of Medicine found that binge drinking or “sport drinking” has been on the rise among personnel in all branches of the military. In 2008, 47 percent admitted to binge drinking with 20 percent calling themselves “heavy drinkers,” a figure sharply higher than a decade ago when only 35 percent admitted to binge drinking. The program is part of the Secretary of the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative aimed at reinforcing healthy lifestyles both on and off duty which entails curbing alcohol misuse and abuse. Early intervention is intended for Marines who have some difficulty with alcohol but who do not have an established pattern of abuse, Haney said.

During a pilot program in March 2012, the U.S. Navy said it would begin Breathalyzer tests for sailors stationed onboard ships and submarines and at air squadrons to curb alcohol abuse. The Navy has also begun random testing of urine samples this month for synthetic chemical compounds such as synthetic marijuana known as Spice. Last year, the Navy discharged 94 sailors for using Spice. Most were from the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Carl Vinson, which was the vessel used to dispose of Usama bin Laden’s body.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...ng-in-military/?test=latestnews#ixzz2GJqtSF5B

 

[waltky]

You betcha, sounds like a buncha drunks tellin' us what to do - or not to do...

Alcohol message 'is confused'
3 January 2013 - We should limit our alcohol intake - but a little may be good for us. Michael Mosley investigates the confusion over what we should - or shouldn't be drinking.

You can't open a newspaper without reading a story about a glass of wine being good or bad for you, or making no difference at all. As a regular, albeit modest drinker, I wanted to find out what the latest research says. The government recommends men drink no more than three to four units a day, women no more than two to three - and you should have two days off if you're drinking too much. At medical school I was taught about the 'U' or 'J' shaped curve which argues that a little bit of alcohol is good for you. So is it true?

Well, if you like a drink, there is some good news but it might not be in the quantities you would hope. One of the downsides of drinking alcohol is the increased risk of liver disease and cancer. The upside is possible protection against heart disease. Dr Peter Scarborough from Oxford University says the downside swiftly displaces the upside, and that half a unit (about a quarter of a glass of wine) is the optimum amount you can drink in a day. He adds: "If you're drinking any more than that then you are not at the best level for reduced risk."

'Jury still out'

Sir Ian Gilmore, a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, believes the evidence still isn't clear. "I think it's fair to say the jury's still out. There certainly isn't enough evidence to say people that don't drink should start drinking because of their health." Henry Ashworth, from the Portman Group which represents UK drinks producers, says that most of us are drinking within the limits, and supports the government's advice. "Guidelines are hugely important because we want to have more informed consumers. "It's really important they stay consistent because the last thing you want to be doing is chopping and changing so people get confused."

The other part of the Government advice is that you should have two days without alcohol after a heavy session to let your body recover. But Dr Nick Sheron, a liver specialist at the University of Southampton, says that this is nothing to do with giving your liver time to recover, but all about dependency. "What is clear is that if you are dependent on alcohol then cutting it out two or three days a week is going to be very difficult, and actually it's a real warning sign that you are somewhere on the dependency scale."

Genetic limit

 

[whitehall]

Ever see the Woody Allen movie "Sleeper" made sometime in the 70's? It's one of Allen's best. A health food store owner wakes up in the future after a minor operation and finds that everything he thought was unhealthy has been proven to be beneficial and essential.

 

[Politico]

Jesus waltky we get it. You don't like alcohol.

 

[Sarah G]

Only an alcoholic would believe this.

 

[Sarah G]

So the heart is strong but the brain rots away?
At last an explanation for the rise of the Tea Party.

Along with other organs.