LIFESTYLE
A Spirited Conversation
Health, Wellness & Alcohol THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
GINO SALVATORE, FRANKLIN WINE & SPIRITS
To use alcohol in the health and wellness arena seems odd or just off. When we think of the whole area of health and wellness, we are thinking of workouts, sweating, CrossFit, going to the gym, yoga, sleep, stress reduction, calories, fat and a balanced diet. Alcohol is the last thing that comes to mind in health and wellness. Or should it be one that we think of often? For many of us, we partake in alcohol consumption, and in varying degrees, it is part of our lives. But while we often have that glass of wine at dinner, a drink for happy hour or a little bourbon on the rocks watching the sunset, alcohol, like many items we put in our body, can negatively affect our overall health and wellness. Like everything else in life: Moderation is the key. So, where does alcohol fit on our road to health and wellness? To help us understand, we have developed the list below to help us in what role our consumption of alcohol plays in our health and wellness. But, unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good. THE GOOD There are a few studies done to examine the role of alcohol in health and wellness. For instance, a 2020 study in the journal JAMA Network Open found that middle-aged and older adults who consumed low to moderate amounts of alcohol had better cognitive function than those who never drank. Another study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology involved 333,247 people and found that light-moderate drinkers were twenty-six and twenty-nine percent less likely to be compared with lifetime abstainers who die of heart disease, respectively. Moderate alcohol consumption may: • Raise “good” HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. • Decrease blood pressure, a significant risk factor for heart disease. • Lower your blood concentration of fibrinogen, a substance that contributes to blood clots. • Cut the risk of diabetes, another major risk factor for heart disease. • Reduce stress and anxiety temporarily.
30 AUGUST 2021
Celebrating 10 Years
