People have used alcohol in one form or another since pre-historic times. While alcohol is primarily drunk for its mood -altering effects, the results of recent studies suggest that there are benefits to moderate drinking. (Moderate drinking is defined as one or two drinks of alcohol either 1.5 oz/45ml of alcohol, 5 oz/150 ml of wine, or 12 oz/355 ml of beer, each.)
What is alcohol in scientific terms? well, its ethyl alcohol or ethanol, which is the active ingredient of alcoholic beverages, is made by yeast fermentation of starch or sugar. Almost any sweet or starchy food-potatoes, grains, honey, grapes, and other fruits, even dandelions-can be turned into alcohol.
Unlike most foods, alcohol is not digested ;95% of it is absorbed into the blood stream from stomach and small intestine within an hour. (The other 5% is eliminated through our kidneys, lungs, or skin.) The liver breaks down, or metabolizes, alcohol; the time this takes depends upon whether the alcohol is ingested with food and upon the person’s sex, weight, body type, and tolerance level, which increases with time and use. On an average, however, it takes liver 3-5 hours to completely metabolize 1 oz (30 ml) of alcohol.We can list the benefits and drawbacks of consuming alcohol in short as follows:
Benefits:
- Moderate consumption cuts heart-attack risk by raising HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and reducing the risk of blood clot formation.
- May protect the brain against age-related dementia.
- In small amounts, it can improve appetite and aid digestion.
- May foster a happy mood
- Can provoke mood swings, aggression, and hangovers.
- Can be addictive.
- Interacts with many medications.
- Over time, moderate to high intake increases the risk of cancers, as well as heart and liver disease.
Drawbacks:
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