Alcohol can be both a tonic and a poison for the body.
In recent years, debate has been heated about alcohol's impact on health. Some researchers claim that moderate drinking actually makes you healthier than those who do not drink. "Moderate drinking," as defined by the U.S. Department of agriculture and the dietary guidelines for Americans, is no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men.
One drink is considered to be 330 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, or 40 ml of spirits (hard liquor). Each of these contains about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol.
The active ingredient in alcoholic beverages is ethanol, a molecule that directly affects the stomach, brain, heart, gall bladder and liver. It also affects levels of lipids and insulin in the blood.
If consumed moderately, alcohol can lower a person's chances of having a heart attack, ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, or other forms of cardiovascular disease. This effect is found in both men and women.
Alcohol raises levels of the "good" cholesterol, HDL, which provides protection against heart disease. In addition, moderate drinkers (as opposed to non-drinkers or heavy drinkers), are more likely to be at a healthy weight, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night and exercise regularly, according to a 1985 national health interview survey.
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