Booze & Your Body Pt I

alcohol health

My clients often ask me my thoughts on alcohol. And suffice to say, my answer is always complicated. Therefore, this will be a mini series. :)

There are many reasons, both personal and health-related, that I myself don’t partake in alcohol consumption much anymore. These aside, however, I want to provide a few of my thoughts on the pros and cons that you’ll hopefully find informative. 

First off, U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans states women may have up to 1 and men may have up to 2 drinks per day. I drink is equivalent to:

  • 12 oz 5% beer

  • 8 oz 7% malt liquor

  • 5 oz 12% wine

  • 1.5 ounces of 40% (80-proof) distilled spirits or liquor

There are definitely groups of people for which alcohol consumption is not recommended at all.

1 serving of wine or beer with dinner once in a while (KEY) may help temporarily increase stomach acid. 

Let’s be real though - most people, female and male, can’t just stick to 1 and 2 drinks (respectively) each day (still not ideal).

Anymore or often than that, things start to go downhill very quickly. And I’m not just saying this in the context of calories. Calorie-density doesn’t bother me - it’s the fact that alcohol is a toxin. Any toxin is going to have consequences.

It’s pretty staggering the effect just one night of drinking can have on us, let alone a few nights in a row:

  • Drinking 5+ alcoholic beverages in 1 night can impact the brain and body for up to 3 days.

  • 2 nights of drinking 5+ drinks back-to-back can impact the brain and body for up to 5 days.

In my next post I’ll talk about the effects of alcohol on the brain and body.

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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.

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References

Badrick, E. Bobak, M. Britton, A. Kirschbaum, C. Marmot, M. Kumari, M. The Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Cortisol Secretion in an Aging Cohort. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2266962/.

Bishehsari, F. Magno, E. Swanson, G. Desai, V. Voigt, R.M. Forsyth, C.B. Keshavarzian, A. (2017). Alcohol and Gut-Derived Inflammation. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5513683/

Boston Medical Group. (2017). Alcohol and Low Testosterone: Excessive Drinking Can Lower Testosterone. Retrieved from: https://www.bostonmedicalgroup.com/alcohol-and-low-testosterone-excessive-drinking-can-lower-testosterone/.

CDC. (2019). Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/moderate-drinking.htm.

Chari, S. Teyssen, S. Singer, M.V. (1993). Alcohol and gastric acid secretion in humans. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1374273/.

Emanuele, M.A. Emanuele, N. Alcohol and the Male Reproductive System. Retrieved from: https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-4/282-287.htm

Firth, G. How Alcohol Affects Nutrition and Endurance. Retrieved from: https://wellness.ucsd.edu/studenthealth/resources/health-topics/alcohol-drugs/Pages/alcohol-nutrition-endurance.aspx.

Neupane, S.D. (2016). Neuroimmune Interface in the Comorbidity between Alcohol Use Disorder and Major Depression. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5186784/.

Purohit, V. Bode, J.C. Bode, C. Brenner, D.A. Mashkoor, A.C. Hamilton, F. Kang, Y.J. Keshavarzian, A. Rao, R. Balfour, S.R. Swanson. C. Turnerk, J.R. (2008). Alcohol, Intestinal Bacterial Growth, Intestinal Permeability to Endotoxin, and Medical Consequences. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614138/.

Tremblay, A. St-Pierre, A. (1996). The hyperphagic effect of a high-fat diet and alcohol intake persists after control for energy density. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8599309.

Wright, J.V. Lenard, L. (2001). Why Stomach Acid is Good for You. Lanham, MD: M. Evans.

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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here. While the owner of this website tries to keep the information up to date, there may be things that are out-of-date and out of their control.