There have been loads of studies over the years that have shown alcohol is bad for your health, causing high blood pressure, digestive problems, liver disease to name a few, but now researchers are claiming moderate drinking can have a few health benefits.
Here we look at whether there’s any truth in the matter.
A healthy habit?
According to recent research from the London Medical Laboratory, controlled consumption of beer might be able to boost your health.
Leading testing expert Dr Quinton Fivelman, chief scientific officer at the organisation, was reported as saying: “Our analysis of research from the US, Italy and the UK shows moderate beer consumption is associated with an increase in bone density, cardiovascular and immunological benefits and is also associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.”
The study, which was published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, highlighted findings that showed drinking a moderate amount of beer for actually protects against “total mortality”.
However, this only applies to women having one drink a day and men consuming two per day and who are not at high risk for alcohol-related cancers or dependency.
“Evidence consistently suggests a J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption (including beer) and all-cause mortality, with lower risk for moderate alcohol consumers,” the report stated.
Harmful effects of alcohol
While this study shows there might be some health benefits to alcohol, there is substantial research to prove otherwise.
According to the NHS, it takes just 14 units a week to damage health, whether through strokes, liver or heart disease, weak bones, weight gain, infertility, chronic kidney disease, brain or nervous system impairment, high blood pressure, memory problems, digestive conditions, or the increased risk of cancers. That is just six pints of beer or ten small glasses of low-strength wine, which many people could easily consume on the weekend alone.
Drinking also puts you at greater risk of injuries, alcohol poisoning, violence, unprotected sex, and it has been known to worsen mental health conditions.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that excessive alcohol use caused 3.6 million years of potential life lost each year from 2015 to 2019 in the USA. Resulting in 140,000 deaths during this period, it was responsible for one in ten fatalities among adults aged between 20 and 64.
There are so many documented cases of alcohol-related health damage, the evidence is damning. From short-term repercussions, including nausea, vomiting and hangovers, to long-term physical, mental and social problems, binge drinking, over drinking or alcohol dependency can have a considerable negative impact on a person’s life.
Health benefits of non-alcohol drinks
As there are so many disadvantages to alcohol consumption, it is not surprising more and more people are turning to alcohol-free alternatives.
Non-alcoholic beer not only has no negative impact on your health, but it is also low in calories. Therefore, you won’t get a beer belly any time soon, which would put your internal organs at risk and increase your chances of obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes.
Get your hands on low-calorie alcohol-free beer by clicking here.