I'm confused (effects of alcohol on the body)

bobthebuilder

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I have read in one place that alcohol is an anti-inflamatory and analgesic and can reduce the chances of getting a disease such as arthritus.

But just now, I have read the opposite - that alcohol, any type, has an inflamatory effect on the body, and it killz braincells.

Until today I had been justifying my 5 or so ounces of hard liquor per evening by thinking that it would reduce my long term chances of getting an inflamatory disease.

One other thing: I consume approximately 1.5g of dha+epa (approx because I'm a vegetarian and have an estimated 30% absorption from an algae source)...am I safe from inflamation? Or should I double the omega 3 :icon_twis
 
5oz/evening? That might be a bit excessive. I think a shot or two, consumed 2-3 times a week is plenty. Some might even say that is too much.

Also, the occasional beer, preferably an IPA or Stout, has certain (minor) health benefits as well.
 
5oz/evening? That might be a bit excessive. I think a shot or two, consumed 2-3 times a week is plenty. Some might even say that is too much.

Also, the occasional beer, preferably an IPA or Stout, has certain (minor) health benefits as well.


I have a beer every now and again, usually a good quality one and about 50% of the time a stout. about the recommended alcohol levels, I thought it was 2 drinks per day for a guy? I have a bit more than that, but this has been built up over a long period of time.
 
5 ounces of liquor every night is actually quite a bit. Do you drink more than that? There are probably people that would call you an alcoholic. I am not one of them, but drinking that much every day is likely doing far more harm than good. If you switched it to 5 oz. of red wine, that would be much better for you.

EDIT: the fact that you wrote that you have been "justifying my 5 or so ounces of hard liquor per evening" makes me think you probably do have at least a mild drinking problem. Why would you have to justify something to yourself if you thought it was actually good for you?
 
Alcohol DOES NOT KILL BRAIN CELLS.... FACT! While the effects of alcohol do have a dulling effect on brain cells, they are not damaged beyond repair. I know most people like to say that because it's what they have always been told, but it's total bullshit.

Reality, from my studies in alcohol, I have found so much shit and garbage that it's really tough to discern fact from fiction. Every single study has bias, so it just depends on which way you want to go. Me, I donate $$ each year to a Liver Research foundation, and I drink quite a bit, so that's my route. Good luck!
 
Doesn't alcohol hinder muscle growth and slow down your metabolism? Doesn't seem good if you're training.
 
Fermented alcohols can have a negative metabolic effect due to their effects on insulin response (negative being relative, for the insulin resistant it can lead to weight gain, for the insulin sensitive it can keep them skinny), though the anti-oxidant capacity of red wine, does make it a good choice for a night cap, portion control is important. Distilled alcohols have very little metabolic effect because their similar in structure to the same "sugar alcohols" you find in low-carb foods. But the chemical effects in the brain of alcohol aren't dissimilar from types of drug use, I'd just say use it as a precursor to sleep. Drink a little, then pass out. Keep it rhythmic, and not excessive, and there won't be too many ill effects.
 
im not quite sure but i think it may increase estrogen
 
You BETTER be sure before you say something like that!!

j/k

But really, that can't be right.


Actually, I thought I'd google it real quick and found this:

Alcohol Lowers Testosterone, Increases Estrogen
If you're a guy and you're STILL unsure whether to reduce or eliminate alcohol from your diet, here's yet another fact for you to ponder: alcohol lowers testosterone and increases estrogen, often bringing about gynecomastria (male breast enlargement) due to increased conversion of testosterone and other aromatizable androgens to estrogen.

However, they PROVIDE ZERO EVIDENCE and are obviously biased. There was a couple of other links, but same thing - No evidence, no numbers.
 
Fermented alcohols can have a negative metabolic effect due to their effects on insulin response (negative being relative, for the insulin resistant it can lead to weight gain, for the insulin sensitive it can keep them skinny), though the anti-oxidant capacity of red wine, does make it a good choice for a night cap, portion control is important. Distilled alcohols have very little metabolic effect because their similar in structure to the same "sugar alcohols" you find in low-carb foods. But the chemical effects in the brain of alcohol aren't dissimilar from types of drug use, I'd just say use it as a precursor to sleep. Drink a little, then pass out. Keep it rhythmic, and not excessive, and there won't be too many ill effects.

Thanks for this. I thought all distilled alcohol also involved fermenting something though? For example, the standard type of whisky involves fermenting and distilling.
 
5 ounces of liquor every night is actually quite a bit. Do you drink more than that? There are probably people that would call you an alcoholic. I am not one of them, but drinking that much every day is likely doing far more harm than good. If you switched it to 5 oz. of red wine, that would be much better for you.

EDIT: the fact that you wrote that you have been "justifying my 5 or so ounces of hard liquor per evening" makes me think you probably do have at least a mild drinking problem. Why would you have to justify something to yourself if you thought it was actually good for you?

Do I drink more than 5 ounces? I just told you I drink 5 or so ounces every evening! Every 2-3 months I might drink half a bottle and some beers, and there are a few days per month when I drink nothing. I know what an alcholic is...I am not one, thank you...I may drink more than optimal for health though (which has nothing to do with alcoholism)
 
Thanks for this. I thought all distilled alcohol also involved fermenting something though? For example, the standard type of whisky involves fermenting and distilling.

The less fermentation the better.
 
5 ounces of liquor every night is actually quite a bit. Do you drink more than that? There are probably people that would call you an alcoholic. I am not one of them, but drinking that much every day is likely doing far more harm than good. If you switched it to 5 oz. of red wine, that would be much better for you.

EDIT: the fact that you wrote that you have been "justifying my 5 or so ounces of hard liquor per evening" makes me think you probably do have at least a mild drinking problem. Why would you have to justify something to yourself if you thought it was actually good for you?

This is part of the 2-4 drinks / day to prevent diseases thing going around...5 oz of hard liquor a night is very rough. I have been doing so for ~20 days (finally slowing down) which is not "health" related, just a crutch.

I feel fine with 1-2 oz every 3-4 days, not daily. Daily tends to murder me.
 
Thanks for this. I thought all distilled alcohol also involved fermenting something though? For example, the standard type of whisky involves fermenting and distilling.
all alcohol you drink is fermented- it is illegal to sell alcoholic beverages unless they have been fermented, which in the case of drinkies means that some anaerobic organism produces ethanol as a byproduct of of sugar breakdown in a manner pretty similar to our bodies producing lactic acid.
 
Since I stopped drinking I have not had a single pimple.

I used to get them quite frequently (for an adult).
 
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