Alcohol

ALCOHOL- THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY!

Alcohol  has a variety of uses such as  fuel source or as an ingredient in the cosmetic and perfume industry but lets face it, the most common way we use it Is to pour it down our throats! Human beings have enjoyed alcohol for over 6000 years and it plays a pivotal role in today’s society with almost 579 million alcoholic drinks consumed each week in the UK alone.

Over 90% of the UK adult population drink alcohol and most of these people can consume alcohol with few ill effects. But with plenty of conflicting stories floating around in the media many people are rightly mystified- is alcohol good for you or does it harm you?

De Faye’s chemists pharmacist, Richard Lyness gives us the low down on society’s favourite drug.

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED SAFE LEVELS OF ALCOHOL DRINKING?

A unit of alcohol is 10ml (or 8g) of pure alcohol. This is about equal to:

  • Half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider (3-4% alcohol by volume(ABV)
  • Small pub measure (25ml) of spirits (40%ABV)
  • Standard pub measure (50ml) of fortified wine such as port or sherry (20%ABV)

There are one and a half units of alcohol in:

  • Small glass (125ml) ordinary strength wine(12%ABV) or
  • Standard pub measure (35ml) of spirits ( 40% ABV)

The recommended safe limits are no more than 3-4 units a day for a man (up to a maximum of 21 units in a week) or 2-3 units daily for a woman(14 in a week). Limits were changed from weekly to daily recommendations as doctors realised that many people saved up all their units for Friday night and thought they would still be OK! This type of binge-drinking is thought to have long term health implications but further studies are needed.

ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS OF DRINKING ALCOHOL?

Lot of people associate drinking with relaxation, socialising and having a good time. Alcohol can help to make you feel more relaxed and talkative and many use it as a way to loosen up and unwind after a tough day. The most important thing to emphasis here that the key word is MODERATION.

Many experts agree that light drinking, say 1-2 units a day, can have certain health benefits and certainly if you are an adult, are in good health and eat a good diet, moderate drinking probably wont hurt you.

The most important health benefits are seen in men over 40 and for women who have passed the menopause. In these age groups, moderate alcohol consumption is thought to help prevent heart disease and stroke. A good example of this is if we look at a culture such as one of the French who traditionally eat a diet that is very high in fat yet as a nation have a relatively low level of death from heart disease. This is thought to be at least partly due to their consumption of red wine. Red wine is high in antioxidants which help protect the body by mopping up dangerous free radicals which would otherwise damage cells (and so cause a variety of health problems). There is also a mild impact on blood thinning which is beneficial to heart health.

Alcohol also appears to increase the levels of HDL, the so called ‘good’ cholesterol and this effect is seen with both wine and beer.

Light to moderate drinking may also reduce the risk of late onset diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s Disease. Again these beneficial effects are only found in the age groups mentioned above; younger people are much less likely to suffer from this type of health problems so there are not thought to be any medical benefits for these other age groups.

It is of course important to note that you don’t have to drink alcohol to achieve these health benefits and reductions in risk; a healthy low fat, low sugar diet accompanied with regular exercise can give you the same results.

Most people can enjoy a drink and see it as a positive aspect of their lives but it is important to know where to draw the line – where do the benefits end and the risks begin? It is advisable to try and keep an eye on many units you are drinking and make sure you know how strong your drink of choice actually is. Stop drinking when you feel you have had enough and don’t let other people pressurise you into further drinking or end up having a drink simply because you are bored!
 
If you do get drunk give it 48 hours before you drink again to give your body a chance to recover and try and make it a regular habit that you have a few days a week where you do not drink any alcohol at all.

There are, of course some circumstances when it is best not to drink at all e.g. before or when driving, when it could affect the quality of your work or if you are taking recreational drugs or prescribed medication.

Drinking while pregnant is an area of controversy. If you have 1-2 units a week it is unlikely to harm your unborn baby. However, the problem is that the amount of alcohol that is DEFINITELY safe in pregnancy is just not known which is why many experts recommend total abstinence. Heavy drinking during pregnancy has been associated with miscarriage and serious disruption to the baby’s growth and brain development.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF DRINKING ALCOHOL?

SHORT TERM PROBLEMS

The most obvious one is of course the hangover which is your body’s way of telling you you overdid it last night! 17 million working days are lost to hangovers each year costing employers a massive £6.4 billion.

Alcohol is broken down in the liver to substances which are responsible for causing those classic symptoms of pounding headache, nausea, vomiting, aches and pains and fatigue. Unfortunately the only real way to cure a hangover is to not drink in the first place but drinking lots of water and taking a painkiller, such as paracetamol to ease that head will help. Ask your pharmacist to recommend one of the many products specially formulated to help. Also try to eat something to replenish your blood sugar levels.

Alcohol has a profound effect on our mood and as your intake increases you can swing from being happy and relaxed to sad and depressed and may become very upset or angry. You may find it harder to control your emotions and this could go either way. You may start crying, hug all your friends or end up in a fight! The mood you are in before you start drinking can have a great effect how you will react when you get drunk; if you are a bit down to start with the alcohol in your system will exaggerate this.

Alcohol is a major factor is many accidents, as it makes you more careless. Around 40% of all household fires involve people who have been drinking and it is a factor in at least 7% of accidental drowning.

As alcohol affects many parts of your  brain your normal judgement may become clouded causing you to act impulsively and lower your inhibitions. This may lead you to do something you later regret; excessive alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON YOUR BODY AND LONG TERM HEALTH DAMAGE

About 1 in 4 men and I in 7 women drink more than the recommended safe levels but not all these people are ‘addicted’ to alcohol and certainly would not consider themselves alcoholics. However, for a variety of reasons, many people can find themselves in a habit of drinking regularly and heavily and this can become a serious health risk, especially if it occurs for a prolonged period.

In the UK about 33,000 deaths a year are related to alcohol and about 5000 are as a direct result of excess alcohol intake. The long term health toll of heavy drinking is extremely serious and the NHS estimates it spends £164 million a year treating alcohol-related conditions.

One of the most serious consequences of heavy drinking is for the liver, as it is responsible for breaking down and detoxifying alcohol. It takes the liver about one hour to process one unit of alcohol and it can only work at this level, no matter how fast you drink. So, if you went out and drank 14 units, starting at 9pm, your liver is still processing alcohol at 11am the next morning. Over time, as your intake increases the liver makes more of the enzyme needed to break the alcohol down. This means that you need to drink more and more alcohol to have the same effect as before. The liver then becomes overactive, cells die and tissue hardens. This is liver cirrhosis, which is incurable and often requires a liver transplant.

If you drink heavily you also have an increased risk of developing:

  • Stomach disorders including excess acid production, which can lead to an ulcer, and heartburn
  • Pancreatitis, which is severe inflammation of the pancreas and causes extreme pain and vomiting
  • Mental health problems including depression and anxiety
  • Impotence and decreased sperm count in men and disrupted periods in women
  • Muscle and heart muscle disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Damage to nervous tissue
  • Some cancers including throat, mouth, bladder, breast and liver cancer.
  • Addiction or alcohol dependence

Alcohol dependence is when you have a strong desire for alcohol and have difficulty controlling your drinking. Your body will be so used to lots of alcohol that you will develop withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, shaking and a craving for alcohol, as quickly as 3-8 hours after your last drink. The warning signs that you may be becoming heavily dependant on alcohol include:

  • Needing a drink every day, often early or first thing in the morning
  • Often drinking alone and neglecting other interests
  • Often having a very strong desire to drink alcohol
  • Needing a drink to stop the ‘shakes’

Heavy alcohol drinking also has an effect on those around you and causes many emotional and financial problems. 4 in 10 cases of domestic violence and 3 in 10 divorces are thought to be alcohol related

If you feel that you are drinking too much and have difficulty controlling this then speak to your GP as help and treatment is available

THE UGLY SIDE OF ALCOHOL

We all like a laugh and a bit of a drink on a night out is certainly no bad thing but in the cold light of day what’s so funny about throwing your guts up, falling over or getting so drunk that you can barely walk? Who has not had that feeling of waking up the morning after the night before and cringing as the memory of the embarrassing things you have did and done come creeping back?

And as for those among us who may be slightly vain and like to look our best alcohol may make everyone around you suddenly look more attractive but it is certainly doing nothing for your own looks! You will end up with dry skin as alcohol causes dehydration and because of increased blood flow to the skin, you will develop broken veins, especially around the nose and cheeks. The small blood vessels in your eyes will swell giving your gaze that attractive bloodshot look and you are likely to end up covered in bruises and bumps as you fall over because too much alcohol has made you lose your balance.
On top of all this alcohol will make you fat! The figure conscious or those watching their weight need to be very careful as alcohol contains a lot of calories e.g.

  • Pint of lager – 200 calories
  • Pint of cider – 250 calories
  • Small glass of red wine – 85 calories
  • Small glass of white wine – 118 calories
  • One shot of vodka – 60 calories
  • One shot of Baileys – 80 calories.

Alcohol contains little else in the way of other nutrients. In other words it contains ‘empty calories’ so replacing a meal with alcohol is not a very good idea (it will also make you drunk a whole lot faster as food slows down the absorption of alcohol!) As if all this was not enough alcohol will decrease your blood sugar levels making you feel rather hungry and 9 times out of 10 you snack of choice after a night out will be of the junk food variety, such as pizza, chips or a kebab! Not so good for the waistline!

If you feel you are drinking too much there are a number of dietary measures and nutritional supplements you can take that will help you on the road back to health.
Drinking alcohol depletes many vitamins particularly B group vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and zinc. All of these can be replaced by using a high quality supplement from your pharmacist so ask your pharmacist for advice about the most appropriate product for you.
Foods that are helpful for liver health include onions, eggs, apples, broccoli and a general increase in intake of fruit and wheat germ. Saturated fats, refined sugar and processed food should be avoided.

One of the most helpful herbal supplements is milk thistle which can help counteract the harmful effects of alcohol on the liver. The most impressive research has been done on a special extract of milk thistle known as silymarin. It helps prevent damage to the liver by acting as an antioxidant and may also protect the cells of the liver by both blocking the entrance of harmful toxins and also by helping to remove these toxins from the liver cells. Milk thistle has also been reported to regenerate injured liver cells. Ask your pharmacist for further advice and product recommendation.

The bottom line is that there is a big difference between occasional drinking and more regular, higher intake. If a break for a couple of weeks would pose no problem to you then that indicates a healthy relationship with alcohol. Just keep in mind the saying, the first drink serves for health, the second for pleasure, the third for shame and the fourth for madness!

If you would like further information about alcohol, helpful nutritional supplements or where to get help if you feel you are drinking too much please call Richard on 01534724701 or call into De Faye’s chemists anytime.