There are some people who should avoid alcohol altogether, including pregnant women, people with some conditions, and people who are taking some medications. Always consult your doctor to see how much alcohol would be safe for you to consume.
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string(3933) "Do you usually have a glass of wine with dinner, or a beer at the game? You may have heard about a link between alcohol and heart health and might wonder if that drink is good for you.
Some studies have shown that moderate drinking might lower heart disease risks in some people, but this isn't true for everyone. Healthy habits like eating fresh fruits and vegetables, getting regular exercise, not smoking, and coping with stress can help prevent heart disease and have few risks, if any at all.
As for alcohol, the risks of drinking might be higher than any benefits. Before you crack open a bottle, learn how alcohol affects your heart, what moderation means, and how you can make healthy choices.
Is Red Wine Good for the Heart?
Will a daily glass of red wine protect you from heart disease? It depends. Some studies have shown a lower risk of heart disease in some people who regularly drink red wine in moderation.
Red wine has compounds that might lower the risk of heart disease, but so do grapes, and red grape juice. It's possible that people who regularly drink red wine in moderation also have other healthy habits that lower their risks overall, like eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and getting regular exercise.
What About Beer and Heart Health?
Researchers in Italy have looked at a link between beer and heart health. Their study showed that some people who regularly drank beer in moderation also had a lower risk of heart disease, like some people who drank red wine.
Again, it's possible that some moderate beer drinkers make healthier lifestyle choices than others, which lowers their heart disease risk.
What is moderate drinking?
All alcoholic drinks have different numbers of calories and different amounts of alcohol. Moderate drinking means no more than two drinks per day for men, and one for women, with the following serving sizes:
12 ounces of beer
4 ounces of wine
1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits
How does alcohol affect the heart?
The American Heart Association reports that no direct link has been found between alcohol itself and a lower risk of heart disease and does not recommend drinking to help lower your risk.
In some people, drinking alcohol in moderation can lower the risk of heart disease by:
It's important to remember that you can also raise your good cholesterol level and lower your risk of blood clots by eating healthy foods, getting regular exercise, and not smoking.
Heavy drinking can lead to serious heart problems, including:
Higher triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood that can raise your total cholesterol level
Talk to your doctor about your family history, medical conditions, and the medicines you take.
If you don't already drink, don't start. Healthy habits like eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat, getting regular exercise, not smoking, and coping with stress can help lower your risk of heart disease without the problems connected to alcohol.
Your doctor can give you advice about what's right for you.
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Some studies have shown that moderate drinking might lower heart disease risks in some people, but this isn’t true for everyone.Read More
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string(3704) "Does alcohol keep you warm? The short answer is no. It may feel like warmed blood is rushing to your skin, but the drug actually interferes with your body's ability to regulate temperature. Ultimately, it only makes you colder. Booze affects the body — especially the blood — in many other ways.
Alcohol and Blood Cells
Your blood consists of a variety of components. Among these, red blood cells (RBC) are the workhorses. They deliver oxygen and other nutrients to every cell and carry away its waste products. Blood cells are manufactured in your bone marrow. Long-term drinking causes the marrow to produce fewer cells. It also alters RBC's structure, reducing their effectiveness. Less efficient and fewer RBCs diminishes their ability to feed your cells adequately.
For example, the drug impedes RBCs absorption of iron. Iron carries needed oxygen throughout your body, and inadequate amounts of iron leads to anemia. Anemia makes you feel weak, tired, and more prone to falls and other accidents
Excessive drinking has the same effect on the number and quality of white blood cells, which are responsible for warding off infections. A weakened immune system explains why alcoholics are more prone to sickness.
Increased Risk for Stroke
Blood also contains clotting agents called platelets. If your blood has too many platelets, it thickens and forms dangerous clots. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot lodges in one of its vessels. When one lodges in your brain, it causes an occlusive stroke.
Not enough platelets and you have "thin blood." Combined with alcohol's role in thinning the walls of blood vessels, blood that does not clot properly puts you at risk for a hematological stroke. This occurs when a weakened vessel ruptures, robbing the blood from a portion of the brain.
Your liver filters the blood. Over time, alcohol destroys the liver in a disease process called cirrhosis.
Excessive drinking raises blood pressure. High blood pressure damages your heart, kidneys and other organs.
Alcohol lowers blood sugar. A sudden decrease in blood sugar puts you at risk for fainting and shock.
Booze alters the effect of medications used to treat these and other conditions. Some medication and alcohol combinations become recipes for a life-threatening medical emergency.
Alcohol in excess or consumed over a long period is very destructive to your body — including your blood. Healthy blood is essential. If you believe you have a drinking problem, find help. The best place to begin is a visit to your primary healthcare provider. The next time you get cold, reach for a blanket instead of a drink.
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Does alcohol keep you warm? The short answer is no.Read More
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string(3764) "We all know that heavy drinking is bad for our health and have heard that light drinking may have health benefits. With the holidays over, you may feel as though you indulged a bit too much and need a reset.
In the United Kingdom, advocacy groups host events like Dry January and Sober October that ask people give up alcohol for a month and raise money for charity. But does quitting alcohol for a month benefit your health?
The short answer is yes, you'll likely see benefits. How much is dependent upon how much you currently drink and your personal health and genetic factors.
Benefits of Avoiding Alcohol
Whether you're a moderate or heavy drinker, some benefits apply to everyone who goes booze-free for a time.
Manage your weight
Maybe you've got a New Year's Resolution to lose pounds, or you just want to shed the couple you gained over the holidays. Skipping the booze gives you more chance to do that.
Alcoholic beverages are nothing but empty calories. Add in soda, juice, or sugary mixes, and you've got even more useless calories. It's also possible that you indulge more when you eat while drinking.
Add a glow to your skin
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes you to pee more than you normally would. This depletes water from your body. Replacing alcoholic drinks with water can hydrate your body and help you get back glowing skin.
Save some cash
Whether you buy a six-pack (or a few) a week or buy drinks out, you can pocket at least a little extra cash during a dry month.
Alcohol makes your liver work harder as it tries to clear the drink from your system. Over time, drinking causes scarring of the liver, which leads to cirrhosis. Abstaining for a month, gives your liver a much-needed break and may possibly allow it to repair some of the damage.
Create new healthy habits
Kicking the booze for a month can have greater benefits for heavy drinkers, giving you a chance to reset. Take the month to add in a new exercise, try new healthy foods, increase your water intake, and find alternative beverages. Then, when you do return to drinking, you may find that you imbibe a little less than before.
Depending on your health, you may see even more benefits of having a dry month.
Check out these five tips to quit or reduce your alcohol intake.
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string(153) "Whether you're a light or heavy drinker, everyone can benefit from giving up alcohol for a month. Here are six reasons to consider going dry for 30 days."
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Whether you’re a moderate or heavy drinker, some benefits apply to everyone who goes booze-free for a time.Read More
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string(10300) "As an expectant mother, you want your baby to be healthy. One way you can help is to remember that you pass much of what you eat, drink, and breathe along to your growing baby.
Some things are good for your baby. Others — like alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and some medicines — can be harmful.
A baby receives food and oxygen through the placenta attached to the umbilical cord. The placenta can't tell the difference between what is good for your baby and what is harmful. That's why you must make good choices.
The following will help you understand how your health and habits can affect your unborn child.
Smoking and Pregnancy
The Surgeon General's warning — "smoking by pregnant women may result in fetal injury, premature birth, and low birth weight" — appears on cigarette packs for good reason.
Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, arsenic, various tar products, and carbon monoxide. All of these are damaging to the body. And all of them can reach the baby through the placenta.
For example, nicotine causes problems with the flow of blood through the blood vessels. Smoking during pregnancy may limit blood flow through the placenta and slow your baby's growth.
Other risks of smoking during pregnancy
Pregnant smokers have a higher chance of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Babies of smoking mothers have a higher chance of being born early and too small.
Low-birth-weight babies (less than 5 ½ pounds) can suffer serious health problems throughout their lives.
Breathing secondhand smoke or not inhaling while smoking can still harm your baby
Some pregnant women think that their babies are safe from the dangers of cigarettes because they don't inhale. This is not true. Although this practice may decrease the danger, harmful elements are still passed to your baby.
The mucous membranes of your mouth and throat absorb tobacco smoke, even if you don't inhale.
Non-smoking mothers and their babies are also at risk when breathing smoke-filled air around them (secondhand smoke).
If you're pregnant, quit smoking
Smoking is a proven health hazard.
Smokers decide to risk their health. Unborn babies don't have the choice.
Please make the right choice for your baby. Don't smoke.
Need help getting started? Find your quit smoking method.
Alcohol and Pregnancy
When you eat or drink, so does your baby. Food and drink quickly enter your baby's bloodstream through the placenta.
To help your baby grow, it's vital to drink a good amount of:
Milk
Water
Fruit juices
Just as these healthy liquids reach your baby, so does alcohol.
Risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
FAS is a group of mental and physical defects that may include:
Intellectual disability
Heart defects
Cleft palate
Defects of the face, fingers, arms, and legs
Children with FAS — because of their mother's alcohol use — often:
Are hyperactive
Have limited attention spans
Suffer lifelong illness and health problems
Even one or two drinks could have harmful effects on your unborn baby
Alcohol affects everyone differently.
Many pregnant women wonder if one or two drinks will harm their baby. Medical experts have not been able to decide on a safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.
Doctors do know that drinking during the first three months of pregnancy is particularly dangerous. This is the most important time for the baby's organs – including the brain, heart, and lungs – to grow.
For this reason, you should stop alcohol use if you are planning to become pregnant. Weeks may pass before you know you are pregnant.
Don't take the chance of drinking during this crucial time in your baby's development.
Even after the first trimester, keep in mind that you share the alcohol you drink with your baby.
The more you drink, the more the baby receives. This increases the chance of serious problems.
To protect your baby from alcohol-related danger, you should not drink any alcohol while you're pregnant.
Follow these tips to quit drinking alcohol.
Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs During Pregnancy
The average medicine cabinet has cold tablets, aspirin, allergy pills, and other over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
Before you became pregnant, you may not have thought twice about taking something when you didn't feel well.
You must remember now that some medicines you take can harm your baby.
Ask your doctor before you take any medicine, dietary supplement, or herbals. Don't take a chance with your baby's health.
Below are some common drugs and the possible harmful effects they can have on your baby.
Aspirin
This drug can be harmful, especially when you take large amounts in late pregnancy. It can cause abnormal bleeding, in both you and your baby, during delivery.
Doctors usually suggest taking acetaminophen (Tylenol®) instead of aspirin.
Tranquilizers
Doctors have linked an increased chance of cleft palate or cleft lip to some tranquilizers.
Caffeine
Although you might not think of it as a drug, caffeine — found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, and some pain medicines — causes birth defects in animals.
While there's no proof that caffeine is harmful to humans, many doctors say to limit your caffeine while pregnant to no more than two to three servings per day.
If you abuse drugs, you're taking a chance with your health and the health of your baby.
Babies born to mothers using street drugs are often born too early and are smaller. They also tend to have behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity.
Marijuana
To get the full effect of marijuana, smokers inhale deeply and hold the smoke in the lungs as long as possible.
There are many harmful gases in the smoke. You pass these along to the baby.
Smoking marijuana while you're pregnant may slow your baby's growth.
After your baby is born, breathing marijuana smoke can make the baby sick. It can cause breathing problems and increase the risk of catching colds and other illnesses more easily.
Cocaine or Crack
Cocaine can cause many problems for your baby before and after birth.
There's a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Babies born to women who abuse cocaine can:
Be hard to comfort
Have feeding problems
Require special care
Other harmful effects cocaine can have on your baby include:
Blood circulation problems
Brain damage
Long-term behavioral health problems
Heroin
If you use heroin, your baby is at higher risk for premature birth and poor growth.
If you're a heroin addict, your baby will probably be born addicted. Your baby will need special care and medicine as he or she goes through withdrawal.
Other street drugs
Other street drugs that can cause problems with your baby's growth and health include, but aren't limited to:
Speed (amphetamines)
LSD
Hashish
Uppers
Downers
Mothers with addiction problems may not have good nutrition and health care, causing more problems for their babies.
Get Help for You and Your Baby Today
If you have a problem with alcohol or drug use, please seek help before becoming pregnant. If you're pregnant now, seek help as soon as possible. Don't allow your baby to suffer because of your problems.
Help is available for any drug or alcohol problem at hospitals and chemical dependency centers.
You can also find help by calling your county's United Way help line. For information about your county United Way agency, call 412-255-1155 any time of the day or night.
If you're breastfeeding, check with your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse before you take anything. Alcohol and some drugs can present in mother's milk.
If you have questions about how a drug – over-the-counter, prescription, or illegal — or any other substance affects pregnancy, talk with your doctor.
Or, contact the UPMC Center for Medical Genetics and Genomics at 412-641-4168.
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Many pregnant women wonder if one or two drinks will harm their baby. Medical experts have not been able to decide on a safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.Read More
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string(3453) "It can be a celebratory gesture — a toast at a wedding or a tinted-green brew on St. Patrick's Day. Drinking alcohol is a part of many celebrations.
When used responsibly, alcoholic beverages can be safely consumed. Too much drinking, whether chronic use or binging, can cause serious health problems. One of the most threatening of these is alcohol poisoning, a potentially fatal condition.
What Is Alcohol Poisoning?
When you drink an alcoholic beverage, alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and enters the blood stream. The liver is responsible for breaking it down, so it can exit the body. But the liver can only break down a certain amount at a time.
If a person drinks excessively, it overwhelms the liver's ability to break down the alcohol, and the blood alcohol level rises, causing more severe symptoms of intoxication.
If drinking continues, the levels become toxic to the body and, in severe circumstances, can cause loss of consciousness and death.
What Happens to the Body During Alcohol Poisoning?
At low levels of blood alcohol, the brain is both excited and calmed. You may experience minor visual problems and slurred speech, as well as some temporary memory loss and impaired judgment.
As you continue to drink, these issues become more pronounced.
As the level of alcohol rises, your internal organs, particularly your brain, may suffer damage. The drive to breathe is suppressed. Drinkers can also experience a suppressed gag reflex, which can lead to choking on one's own vomit. The heart rate slows down, and body temperature drops.
Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
If you notice these symptoms in yourself or someone else who has been drinking, immediately call 911 to get medical attention. Don't wait to see all the symptoms before you get help.
"Blacked out" or unable to wake up, non-responsive
Vomiting
Slow breathing, or fewer than eight breaths per minute
The most important thing that you can do to prevent alcohol poisoning is to limit the number of alcoholic beverages that you drink at one time.
You can try consuming non-alcoholic beverages in between alcoholic ones. Don't drink on an empty stomach, and drink with trusted, responsible people who can help limit your intake.
If you think you'd like to cut down on your drinking, consider the benefits of quitting alcohol for a month. Learn more by visiting the UPMC Addiction Medicine webpage.
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When used responsibly, alcoholic beverages can be safely consumed. Too much drinking, whether chronic use or binging, can cause serious health problems.Read More
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string(632) "It’s no secret that alcohol affects your mind and body.
And these effects can be far-reaching, impacting your feelings, personality, movement, and much more.
Check out our infographic to discover a breakdown of the progressive health effects of alcohol consumption, based on the number of drinks you consume and your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) percent.
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Check out our infographic to discover a breakdown of the progressive health effects of alcohol consumption, based on the number of drinks you consume and your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) percent.Read More
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string(2696) "Ready, set, HIKE! The start of football season means it's tailgating time. From food drowning in cheese to high calorie alcoholic drinks, tailgates can be disastrous to anyone who wants to finish out the year on a healthy note.
For a healthy and toasty tailgate, skip the alcohol and coffee shop treats to avoid unnecessary calories, and stay warm with some of our favorite hot drinks.
Hot chocolate
You can stick with the classic or you can try one of the dozens of add-ins. If you need a bit more than concession-stand hot cocoa, try adding a peppermint stick or two!
Hot cider
Heat up some store-bought cider in the microwave or spice it up with cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, and orange and lemon peel. Both options are delicious!
Coffee
Just like hot chocolate and hot cider, there's a reason we love the classics. Whether you drink your coffee black, with cream and sugar, or with all the trimmings, it's bound to be a bright spot in your blustery tailgate. Just remember, the more you add in, the higher the calories!
Tea
Green, Black, Oolong, White, Herbal...the list of tea options goes on and on. Just don't forget the lemon!
Spiced Chai
The combination of spices make this drink perfect for a cold fall day. Whip up a delicious Spiced Chai with a pre-packaged blend or, if you prefer, you can make your own spice mix in no time!
Pumpkin Latte
Nothing says fall like pumpkin! If you're struggling to pass up on the coffee shop concoctions, you can craft your own version of the beloved drink before the tailgate. It'll keep your wallet and health in check.
Matcha Milk
If you're feeling adventurous, take this Japanese delicacy for a spin. All it takes is matcha powder, almond milk, agave syrup, vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon! The healthy drink will keep you warm at the tailgate and keep your diet on track.
By avoiding sweet coffee shop beverages, as well as alcoholic ones, you can enjoy a fall tailgate without sacrificing your healthy diet. Trying one of the hot drinks from the above list is a great way to be healthy, stay warm and have fun with friends at your next tailgate.
What's your go-to hot drink for tailgates? Share your favorites in the comments!
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For a healthy and toasty tailgate, skip the alcohol and coffee shop treats to avoid unnecessary calories, and stay warm with some of our favorite hot drinks.Read More
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string(1933) "The holidays are just months away, and for many of us, the celebration also means you'll be having a few adult beverages with friends and family. Sipping on those yummy holiday-inspired concoctions can be fun, but they'll also rack up the calories in a flash. While we're not quite ready to break out the Christmas decorations, it's never too early to plan your defense against holiday overindulgence.
Discover how many calories are in your favorite drinks so you can make wiser choices during the upcoming holiday season and into the new year.
WineBeerLiquorCocktail
However pleasant the occasional cold beer, chilled glass of wine, or sweet cocktail may be, it's also important to note that drinking alcohol can have negative effects on your body and overall health. By understanding the amount of calories in your favorite alcoholic drinks, you can make smarter decisions when hitting the bar at your next holiday gathering, so that you're mentally and physically fit when entering 2015!
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Discover how many calories are in your favorite drinks so you can make wiser choices.View Infographic
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string(4110) "When you were young, your mom always told you not to pick your nose. But as a disobedient child, you paid no attention to social conventions and picked away. Only a short time later, your most noticeable habit was, you guessed it, picking your nose. While disgusting, it's not going to do any damage to your body, or your brain. However, there are certain bad habits many people develop that can be harmful to the brain.
Here are a few habits that you'll want to avoid if you want to keep your brain going strong.
Recreational Drugs and Alcohol
This is your brain on drugs. Egg cracks, fries. You get the point. Well, even though that PSA is from the 80s, it certainly reigns true today. Recreational drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine age your body and brain rapidly, mainly because of the high concentrations of toxic chemicals in them. And drugs such as ecstasy and crack cocaine can cause even more damage, including insomnia, anxiety, permanent mood disorders, and the risk for developing mental illnesses later in life. All not good for your brain.
Now, we all know there is nothing wrong with a beer or a glass of wine here and there, but when addiction comes into play, that's when the brain may start to be affected. The most common issues found in alcoholics are deficiencies in vitamin B1 and magnesium. Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause confusion, memory loss, decreased mental alertness, and emotional instability. A deficiency in magnesium can cause depression, disorientation, and irritability. Add those together and you can see why being addicted to alcohol can transform your brain into a pile of mush.
Poor Diet
You may actually not want add fries with that. Or maybe just skip the fast food all together. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that people who ate junk food (foods high in sugar, fat, and cholesterol) for five days straight performed worse on cognitive tests measuring body movement and agility, attention, and mood than those who ate a normal diet. The researchers don't specifically know what caused the problems, but they all agree that it may be inflammation of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that's associated with memory and special recognition.
Not Reading Enough
Reading Harry Potter not only makes you want to pick up wizardry as a hobby – it's also good for your brain. Reading stimulates multiple high functioning areas of the brain and also improves the connectivity between brain circuits that are responsible for reading language. So when you put off reading on a consecutive basis, you may be on the fast track to a decline in cognitive skills, especially verbal skills, later in life.
Reading can also help prevent dementia. Researchers at the French National Institute discovered that people who do not read on a regular basis have an 18 percent greater chance of developing the disease. And when dementia did occur, the symptoms were worse in those who didn't read. So pick up those books, your brain will thank you.
There's More?
Yes, there are more bad habits that can affect your brain. Here is just a quick rundown.
Covering your head while sleeping (buildup of carbon dioxide can be harmful)
But, there is good news. Habits can be broken over time. If you find yourself engaging in more than a few of these patterns on a regular basis, talk to your doctor or therapist to see how you can wean yourself away from a potentially harmful habit.
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Now, we all know there is nothing wrong with a beer or a glass of wine here and there, but when addiction comes into play, that’s when the brain may start to be affected.Read More
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string(3914) "Post last updated April 29, 2016
Heavy drinking can take a significant toll on your body — and greatly impact the health of your liver.
While social drinking is commonplace, heavy and frequent use of alcohol is linked to a host of serious ailments, including cancers. Those who drink heavily are at a higher risk for:
Liver cancer
Mouth cancer
Throat cancer
Larynx (voice box) cancer
Esophagus cancer
Breast cancer
Colon cancer
Rectal cancer
How Alcohol Affects the Liver
Alcohol has a variety of effects on the liver that range from causing acute (quick onset) inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) to fatty (steato) liver disease.
Fatty liver may be reversible at an early stage when alcohol drinking is stopped, but eventually, it develops into hepatitis.
A very severe bout of alcoholic hepatitis can quickly lead to liver failure. Steatohepatitis, a form of liver disease, can lead to progressive long-term liver toxicity and permanent damage in the form of cirrhosis — the late stage of serious liver disease. These long-term liver toxicities increase the risk of liver cancer.
How Alcohol Increases Your Risk of Liver and Other Cancers
Chronic inflammation can be a risk factor for cancer, but it is still unclear why.
One theory suggests that as cancer begins, it sends off signals that lead to inflammatory (immune) cells infiltrating the tumor. These immune cells may then recruit new blood vessels to nourish the budding tumors. Or perhaps they lay down a covering around the tumor that protects the tumor from destruction by other immune cells or cancer treatments.
Some data shows that exercise, a balanced diet, and daily aspirin use may reduce inflammation. These practices may lead to a lower risk of certain new or recurrent cancers. Always speak with your health care provider before starting any new diet or exercise plans or beginning daily aspirin use.
In addition, alcohol negatively affects the metabolism of nutrients that might help reduce cancer. Others suggest that as the body breaks down alcohol, a toxic chemical is produced which can directly affect normal cells by damaging DNA. This may lead to cancer.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?
If you're drinking too much at one time, drinking too often, or both, you may be consuming too much alcohol. "Heavy" or "at-risk" drinking for healthy men generally is considered four drinks in any day or 14 drinks in a week. Women are identified as "heavy drinkers" or "at-risk" if they consume three drinks per day or seven per week.
When it comes to liver toxicity, there's no proven safe amount of alcohol. The side effects of alcohol occur in patients who consume significant amounts of alcohol daily or who only binge on particular days.
Always discuss your use of alcohol with your physician and loved ones. If you think you or someone you care about is drinking too much, ask for help.
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Heavy drinking can take a significant toll on your body — and greatly impact the health of your liver.Read More
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string(4957) "How often have you shown up to work feeling like you should've had at least one or two fewer drinks last night? Or you've gotten the check for dinner and realized those couple glasses of wine added $30 to your bill? While alcohol can sometimes be a nice complement to a meal, there are certain aspects of drinking that can be a bit of a ... well... buzzkill.
Reducing how much alcohol you drink will make you feel better overall, help you avoid many alcohol-related health problems, and save you money. Although you don't have to give up alcohol entirely (unless you have a health condition that prohibits drinking), cutting back on the amount you drink can be of great benefit to your health, well-being, and your wallet, too.
What Does Cutting Back Mean?
Most health and government organizations recommend that women have no more than one alcoholic beverage per day and men have no more than two.
A standard drink is defined by volume, in ounces, and alcohol content, either the proof or the percent ABV (alcohol by volume):
Beer: 12 ounces, 5 percent ABV
Malt liquor: 8 ounces, 7 percent ABV
Wine: 5 ounces, 12 percent ABV
Liquor: 1.5 ounces, 80 proof (40 percent ABV)
Why Should I Cut Back My Alcohol Consumption?
From your health to your physical appearance to keeping more money in your wallet, the benefits of reducing your alcohol intake are nearly limitless.
Keep your waistline in check.Your average drink has about 100 calories. Many are high in sugar as well, especially cocktails, which can quickly build your beer gut.
Help prevent disease. Although many studies have supported the idea that one drink a day for women or two for men have health benefits, most research shows that more than that can contribute to disease. Heavy drinking can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, liver disease, and pancreatitis.
Feel rested. Alcohol, especially right before bed, causes you to miss out on REM sleep. You likely wake up more often at night and may feel exhausted the next day.
It can be tough to limit how many drinks you have, especially when you're used to drinking as part of socializing or an evening routine.
Don't drink in front of the TV. As with snacking while watching TV, you're likely to consume more than you realize when you're not paying attention.
Switch to low-alcohol drinks. Although it's better to reduce the quantity of drinks you have, you can also gain health benefits by choosing drinks with a lower alcohol content. For example, switch from an IPA with 9 percent alcohol to a wheat beer with 4.6 percent.
Choose quality over quantity. If you're going to splurge on calories for dessert, do you want to waste them on a convenience store brownie? Or would you rather go for the perfectly baked chocolate lava cake with the rich, gooey center? Treat your drinks the same way. Choose quality, well-crafted drinks from reputable labels or brewers and stop at one.
Drink more water. Alcohol can make you dehydrated. Drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.
Take a day off. Look at how many days a week you drink. Do you go out for drinks after work a few nights a week? Do you have a couple drinks every night at home? Choose one day a week to go alcohol-free. You won't build up a tolerance as fast, you'll get a good night's sleep, and you'll help lower the risk of becoming dependent.
Get a friend or spouse to cut back with you. Pick a few tips to try, and support each other.
Too much of a good thing can drag you down. Consider cutting back on the amount of alcohol you drink to help you look and feel better – and give you more money to spend on things that you enjoy."
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Reducing how much alcohol you drink will make you feel better overall, help you avoid many alcohol-related health problems, and save you money.Read More
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string(448) "Hangovers happen.
Consume one too many drinks in the evening and your morning may be marked by headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. For some people, just one drink is enough to cause a nasty hangover.
Hangovers are a sign that the body is going through withdrawal after consuming a large amount of alcohol. Can you tell myth from fact when it comes to so-called hangover treatments? Take our quiz to find out.
Correct!
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Correct!
Wrong!
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Wrong!
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Correct!
Wrong!
Correct!
Wrong!
Share the quiz to show your results !
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Hangover Myths and Facts Quiz
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string(42) "Quiz: Do You Know How to Treat a Hangover?"
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Hangovers are a sign that the body is going through withdrawal after consuming a large amount of alcohol. Can you tell myth from fact when it comes to so-called hangover treatments? Take our quiz to find out.Start Quiz
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["post_title"]=>
string(38) "How Alcohol Affects Your Mind and Body"
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string(129) "Updated: This infographic gives you a breakdown on the progressive effects of alcohol, based on how many drinks you've consumed. "
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Beer
Liquor
Cocktail
However pleasant the occasional cold beer, chilled glass of wine, or sweet cocktail may be, it's also important to note that 
