Drinking alcohol in moderate
amounts can have positive
influences on physical and
mental health. While alcohol is
one of the most widely abused
substances on the market, it is also one that features certain
benefits for drinkers who
consume it in safe amounts.
For individuals who consume
low levels of alcohol, benefits
like reduced stress, increased cardiovascular health and
decreased risk of developing
type 2 diabetes offer a wealth
of reasons for consumers to
drink in moderation. Reduce Stress, Anxiety
and Tension Research shows that the consumption of alcohol in
moderate amounts can lead to
certain psychological benefits.
Low levels of alcohol can
trigger stress reduction, easy
feelings of anxiety and help consumers to reduce tension.
In addition, low levels of
alcohol consumption can also
cause the consumer to feel
more pleasant and relaxed.
Studies on sleep show that people who drink in
moderation get more sleep on
average than do those who
indulge in excess. These
psychological effects of
moderate drinking are positive ones that can be beneficial to
the consumer. A Longer Life The positive psychological
effects of drinking in
moderation can be associated
with the studies that show
moderate drinkers tend to love longer than people who don't
drink at all or those who drink
in excess. Studies from a
number of different countries
including China, the United States and England indicate that longevity is highest among groups of people who
drink alcohol in moderation. Increased
Cardiovascular Health Several studies have shown
that drinking alcohol in
moderation has a positive
correlation with certain
aspects of cardiovascular
health. In particular, the risk of developing coronary artery
disease is significantly
lowered in conjunction with
moderate consumption of
alcohol. Another link between
alcohol and cardiovascular health shows that moderate
consumption of alcohol has a
positive correlation with
survivability in the event of a
heart attack. Those who drink
low levels of alcohol are more likely to live and less likely to
experience another heart
attack. Alcohol produces several
positive effects on the body
when consumed in low levels.
For example, it increases levels
of good cholesterol (HDL) and
lowers levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). Alcohol also
acts as a blood thinner once it
enters the human body, much
like common aspirin does.
Thus, when consumed in
moderation, it can reduce the likelihood of developing blood
clots in arteries. Decreased Risk for
Type 2 Diabetes While consuming alcohol in
large quantities has been
proven to put drinkers at a
higher risk for developing type
2 diabetes, some studies show
that drinking in moderation might have the opposite
effect. The relationship
between alcohol and type 2
diabetes is the focus of a great
number of ongoing studies.
Findings show, however, that moderate drinkers are less
likely to develop type 2
diabetes than heavy drinkers. All of these health benefits
associated with moderate
drinking serve as an incentive
for consumers to limit their
levels of alcohol intake. Too
much alcohol eliminates the health benefits described
above. The best way to
maximize on the health
benefits of alcohol is to
consume it in low levels.