| Alcohol is a very ancient drink that has been | | | | the memory draws the pictures of the past that |
| consumed for thousands of years by almost all | | | | are so vivid that the former smoker can actually |
| civilizations. Alcoholic beverages are an important | | | | feel the taste and smell of tobacco. Besides being |
| part of many social events. A lot of us resort to | | | | in the state of euphoria (after having a couple of |
| a glass of wine at home after a hard day. So | | | | drinks) a person already can not critically assess |
| how do you know when an innocent drink turns | | | | his or her actions and breaks their own promises |
| into a dangerous addiction? Can alcohol actually be | | | | without thinking twice. Typically we smoke more |
| good for you? What is a safe dose of alcohol? | | | | cigarettes than usual in this condition. As a result |
| We set out on a quest to find out the answers | | | | the toxic effect of alcohol is intensified by several |
| to all these questions and more. | | | | times, hence a more severe hangover. |
| So can alcohol actually be used as a medicine? | | | | What medicines could be combined with alcohol? |
| The answer is only in rare cases. If we are | | | | Alcohol is not compatible with any medications, |
| dealing with a heart attack, liver or kidney colic | | | | especially cardio-stimulants, tranquilizers, |
| and there are no medications available, then we | | | | antidepressants, and beta-blockers. Losing |
| can use alcohol. One tablespoon of vodka or | | | | conciseness is the least of the potential |
| cognac will help eliminate the vessel and muscular | | | | consequences. Sometimes alcohol can intensify |
| spasms thus improving the patient's condition until | | | | the effects of the medications by so much that it |
| the ambulance arrives. However the relaxation | | | | can lead to coma or even sudden death. Alcoholic |
| effect caused by alcohol is very short and is | | | | beverages are also not compatible with diuretic |
| followed by the phase of prolonged vessel and | | | | medications. Combined with wine or beer diuretics |
| muscular spasms. | | | | remove such a big amount of microelements out |
| What effects do alcoholic beverages have on | | | | of your body that it can lead to heart |
| blood pressure? They raise it. This is exactly the | | | | malfunctions. Even the commonplace aspirin should |
| reason why alcohol actually helps those who have | | | | not be chased with alcoholic drinks - such |
| hypotonia, one or two tablespoons of cognac can | | | | experiments can lead to stomach ulcer. A vast |
| resuscitate a person with low blood pressure. | | | | amount of complications can be caused by |
| However, the World Health Organization does not | | | | combining alcohol with antibiotics. Not all |
| recommend for doctors to advise their patients | | | | medications enter our body in active form. A lot |
| to take any alcoholic beverages as their medicine. | | | | of them start acting only after they pass the |
| Longstanding research shows that the cause of | | | | stage of disintegration in the liver. Alcohol requires |
| 20% of all cases of hypertension is alcohol, | | | | disintegration too, and thus once both medications |
| especially beer and vodka. Thus, if a man | | | | and alcohol enter our body at the same time, |
| consumes more than 5 oz of wine or 2 oz of | | | | both of these substances start to compete. As a |
| vodka a day, the risk of developing hypertension | | | | result the active ingredient of the medication gets |
| increases to 40%; in the same case for women | | | | to our body under-oxidized, which most often |
| the risk increases to 90%! So it is much safer to | | | | leads to allergic reactions. |
| increase blood pressure not with alcohol but with | | | | Why is it that some people become placid and |
| coffee, tea, dark chocolate, or ginseng tincture. | | | | talkative after having a drink, and others become |
| It's a known fact that natural dry wines are | | | | withdrawn and aggressive? In spite of the |
| beneficial for us. What is this effect due to? The | | | | person's character, age and mood, the alcohol |
| skin and seeds of red type of grape contain a | | | | slows down the function of the nervous system. |
| substance that has a huge antioxidant effect. | | | | Two minutes after having a drink, the alcohol |
| When we eat that type of grapes or drink wine | | | | reaches the frontal lobe of the brain leading to the |
| made out of it, this substance prevents the | | | | disruption of the most of neuro-chemical bonds. |
| development of cardio-vascular and oncological | | | | You become absent-minded, the thoughts |
| diseases, it slows down the age changes in the | | | | become chaotic, and the mood becomes elevated |
| brain and in the motor function thus extending the | | | | and cheerful. Although this state of euphoria is |
| life span and delaying the body's aging. Besides | | | | short-term, soon the phase of inhibition comes, |
| that, alcoholic beverages improve digestion and | | | | during which the intoxicated person looses |
| prevent building up of cholesterol on the vascular | | | | restraint and common sense and their |
| walls. But all of this is true only when alcohol is | | | | conversations and actions become inappropriate. |
| consumed in moderate amounts. Consumption of | | | | Usually alcohol affects healthy people as an |
| alcohol in large amounts leads to heart pathologies | | | | emotional equalizer: a closed-off person brightens |
| and hypertension. So it's much safer to lower | | | | up after a glass of wine, a talkative one quiets |
| cholesterol with the help of physical activities and | | | | down, an aggressive one calms down. Although |
| rational diet, which are just as effective as alcohol. | | | | sometimes unexpected reactions happen, which |
| How is it that the French eat a lot of fatty foods, | | | | are usually predetermined by peculiarities of the |
| drink beer and at the same time live long lives | | | | person's nervous system. One fact remains |
| and suffer from cardio-vascular diseases 40% | | | | though, if after having a drink you become |
| less than the Americans? The secret of the | | | | aggressive, you should stay away from drinking. |
| "French paradox" is not only in consuming wine | | | | A lot of people consider alcohol the best cure of |
| regularly, but also in their lifestyle and peculiarities | | | | stress, is that true? Alcohol is the most simple |
| of their diet. Besides wine and cheese the French | | | | and accessible tranquilizer. However it does not |
| consume a large amount of vegetables, fruit, | | | | relieve stress, otherwise everyone would be |
| verdure, olive oil and seafood. This diet supplies | | | | drinking their problems away. Fortunately, this |
| the body with lipoproteins of high density, | | | | does not happen since for most people alcohol is |
| unsaturated fats, vitamins and microelements, | | | | just a mediator, something of a relaxing element, |
| which cause a powerful antioxidant effect, | | | | which allows them to talk frankly, to pour their |
| protecting the body's cells from damages by free | | | | heart out to the closest friend, neighbor, fellow |
| radicals. Furthermore, the residents of South | | | | traveler. However the doctors consider jogging |
| France actively consume seaweed, which contains | | | | just as effective due to the increased production |
| substances that improve the biological properties | | | | of energy in our body when under stress. That is |
| of blood (decrease the formation of clots and | | | | why when we start stressing out we can not |
| stimulate disintegration of fats). | | | | stay in one place: we pace the room, pull at our |
| What amount of alcohol is considered a safe | | | | hair, talk emotionally. Therefore it would be quite |
| dose? In France, Italy, and Hungary this number | | | | logical to get rid of the excess energy at the |
| would traditionally be higher than that in Sweden | | | | gym rather than at the bar. |
| or Norway, for example. But talking about the | | | | Are there any rules one should follow when |
| common dose, the World Health Organization | | | | drinking? The first rule is never drink on an empty |
| recommends for men to consume not more than | | | | stomach. If you don't eat anything prior, alcohol is |
| 30 ml of pure alcohol, which is about 1.5 bottles of | | | | absorbed freely by the stomach and quickly gets |
| beer or 2 shots of vodka a day, and for women | | | | into blood causing immediate and very strong |
| - 20 ml of pure alcohol per day, which is 1 bottle | | | | intoxication. This is why dietitians recommend |
| of beer or 1 shot of vodka. The doctors also | | | | eating something greasy beforehand. The second |
| recommend refraining from drinking alcoholic | | | | rule is to start the party up with aperitif, a small |
| beverages at least two days a week. | | | | drink before you eat to stimulate the appetite. If |
| So why is the safe dose for women lower than | | | | you have a little bit of wine, vodka or martini first, |
| the one for men? This is explained by the fact | | | | not only will you stimulate the appetite, but you |
| that women have less water in their body than | | | | will also make the fermentative system work |
| men do. Besides, the element responsible for the | | | | more actively. The third rule is if you have to |
| disintegration of alcohol located in the stomach is | | | | change a drink make sure to drink higher proof |
| less active in women. Therefore the processing of | | | | drinks each time. Processing high-proof drinks |
| alcoholic beverages is slower in female bodies | | | | requires a lot of the ferment responsible for |
| making the ladies more receptive to alcohol. | | | | breaking up alcohol hence if you chase cognac |
| Why is it that some people get a headache after | | | | with champagne you will cause the deficit of this |
| a glass of red wine, but feel fine after drinking | | | | ferment. Because of that, the low-proof drink |
| white wine? This reaction could be caused by | | | | gets into our body unbroken without obstruction |
| individual intolerance of sulfur dioxide - the | | | | causing strong intoxication. |
| substance that is added to red dry wines for | | | | What kind of food should you have with strong |
| longer storage. This preservative can cause | | | | drinks? Dry wines should be followed by fruit, |
| immediate redness of the face and strong | | | | cheese, salads, non-greasy types of meat, and |
| migraines. This does not happen when consuming | | | | fish. Drinks with 80 proof and higher go best with |
| white wines because there is no sulfur dioxide | | | | greasier and heavier foods - pork, lamb, red |
| added to them according to their preparation | | | | caviar, potatoes, salads with high-calories sauces. |
| technology. | | | | This will help slow down the absorption of alcohol |
| How safe are the low-alcohol sparkling drinks so | | | | and improve the digestion of food since alcohol |
| popular among the younger people? Easy math | | | | helps break up fats. It is desirable to have fresh |
| allows us to see that this category of drinks is | | | | lemons available during a long get-together. The |
| not so harmless. Most of them contain 8% | | | | acid contained by them is an excellent |
| alcohol. If you multiply this number by 0.33, which | | | | decomposer of alcohol therefore you can chase |
| is the contents of one bottle, then we get about | | | | your drinks with cut up pieces of this sour fruit or |
| 27 ml of pure alcohol. For women it is already | | | | have a glass of water mixed with lemon juice. |
| over their daily limit, and usually few stop at just | | | | You might want to get rid of sparkling sweet |
| one bottle a day. Besides these drinks usually | | | | drinks since sugar and carbon dioxide contained by |
| contain carbon dioxide, which contributes to faster | | | | them increase the absorption speed of alcohol. |
| absorption of alcohol into blood due to which | | | | This is the same reason why you should not |
| intoxication happens almost after the first sip. | | | | chase sparkling wines with chocolate. |
| What are the consequences of immoderate | | | | What is alcohol poisoning? What are its symptoms |
| consumption of beer? Beer, just as any other | | | | and what precautions should be taken to save the |
| alcoholic beverage, first of all affects the liver, | | | | person who got alcohol poisoning? Alcohol |
| causing toxic hepatitis and alcohol cirrhosis. Namely | | | | poisoning happens after consumption of more |
| these two diseases have the leading positions in | | | | than 500 ml of vodka. Most people's body natural |
| beer countries such as Germany, where beer is | | | | reaction to such an amount of toxic substances is |
| consumed often and in big amounts, up to 3 liters | | | | vomiting, but more than 30% of alcohol drinkers |
| per night. | | | | are missing this reflex, therefore if the body is |
| Former smokers complain that after having a | | | | exposed to a large amount of ethanol, it |
| drink they get the desire to smoke again. Why | | | | undergoes the strongest alcohol intoxication: |
| does it happen? Usually this happens to those who | | | | alcohol paralyzes the nervous system which leads |
| managed to say no to the harmful habit but | | | | to comatose condition and if left unattended can |
| haven't coped with the psychological smoking | | | | lead to death in several hours. This is why if you |
| addiction. Once the former smoker goes to the | | | | find someone unconscious with a distinct alcohol |
| party where a lot of people smoke, he or she | | | | smell, pale, perspirating, having hurried breathing, |
| can experience what a former drug addict would | | | | not reacting to any outside stimuli, having weak |
| feel if he appeared in a surrounding where they | | | | pulse and uneven heartbeat, call the ambulance |
| used to do drugs. Just one glance at the familiar | | | | immediately. |
| surroundings is enough to be overtaken with the | | | | Now that you know all these facts about alcohol, |
| associative habit. Under the influence of alcohol, | | | | go out and have fun, but be responsible and safe! |