SYHL Articles
Alcohol: Legal but Lethal
Many Americans consume alcohol on a regular basis. Whether it is a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after work with friends, drinking may be the most acceptable drug in the United States. If you're of the legal age to drink (21 and up), it's easy to forget that alcohol can hold many dangers other than obtaining a DUI or birthing an addiction.
A person who drinks moderately (one drink per day for a woman and one to two drinks per a day for men), still should be aware of the health problems that can come from making alcohol a part of life.
1. Alcohol is caloric.
Drinking calories can always be problematic if you care about your weight. Some alcoholic beverages can contain anywhere from fifty-five to several hundred calories. It's an easy way to pack on the pounds. It can also weaken your resolve to stick to a healthy diet.
2. Alcohol can cause Chronic Disease
As touched on before (see number one) alcohol is caloric. Increasing your calories unnecessarily and gaining weight increases your risk for developing diabetes. Alcohol can also cause heart disease, high blood pressure, liver damage and cancer. When you think about it, drinking is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Too bad that it doesn't come with a warning label like a pack of Winston's.
3. Alcohol Can Hurt Your Sex Life
Drinking too much can poorly effect sexual performance in men and women. It dilates blood vessels in the body, including the sex organs. This can result in males not being able to become as erect as when sober or at all. For females it can hinder the body from producing enough lubrication. While alcohol may help to lower sexual inhibitions, it also makes it harder for sex to happen. If you are looking for an aphrodisiac there are plenty of healthier alternatives that you and your partner can ingest, such as Avocado, chocolate, or even almonds!
4. Alcohol is The Enemy of Beauty
Alcohol dehydrates the skin and drinking too much can dry it out. It also lowers the body's levels of vitamin A. While the blood vessels in the body are becoming smaller, the blood vessels in the skin are become larger. This can result in blotchiness, and wrinkling.
In the last several years, there have been studies emerging claiming that alcohol can have benefits, particularly red wine. In reality, it is not wine that is beneficial to the human heart, but the flavonoids that it contains. A person could experience the same heart healthy benefits by drinking a glass of grape juice or eating a cluster of red grapes. Better yet, red grapes are loaded with antioxidants which help to fight free radicals (which promote cancer growth).
It's important to keep these things in mind if you are debating about whether to drink or not. Consider the alcohol ads on TV or in magazines that always advice, Drink Responsibly. Although alcohol is legal, it has great potential to harm your health and livelihood. Using alcohol as a means to relax or be social can lead to a dangerous habit. If you are not ready or interested in abstaining from using it, try to remember the benefits of doing it only sporadically. It can be fun to have a glass of wine at a wedding, but it's even more fun to live a healthy life.
Many Americans consume alcohol on a regular basis. Whether it is a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after work with friends, drinking may be the most acceptable drug in the United States. If you're of the legal age to drink (21 and up), it's easy to forget that alcohol can hold many dangers other than obtaining a DUI or birthing an addiction.
A person who drinks moderately (one drink per day for a woman and one to two drinks per a day for men), still should be aware of the health problems that can come from making alcohol a part of life.
1. Alcohol is caloric.
Drinking calories can always be problematic if you care about your weight. Some alcoholic beverages can contain anywhere from fifty-five to several hundred calories. It's an easy way to pack on the pounds. It can also weaken your resolve to stick to a healthy diet.
2. Alcohol can cause Chronic Disease
As touched on before (see number one) alcohol is caloric. Increasing your calories unnecessarily and gaining weight increases your risk for developing diabetes. Alcohol can also cause heart disease, high blood pressure, liver damage and cancer. When you think about it, drinking is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Too bad that it doesn't come with a warning label like a pack of Winston's.
3. Alcohol Can Hurt Your Sex Life
Drinking too much can poorly effect sexual performance in men and women. It dilates blood vessels in the body, including the sex organs. This can result in males not being able to become as erect as when sober or at all. For females it can hinder the body from producing enough lubrication. While alcohol may help to lower sexual inhibitions, it also makes it harder for sex to happen. If you are looking for an aphrodisiac there are plenty of healthier alternatives that you and your partner can ingest, such as Avocado, chocolate, or even almonds!
4. Alcohol is The Enemy of Beauty
Alcohol dehydrates the skin and drinking too much can dry it out. It also lowers the body's levels of vitamin A. While the blood vessels in the body are becoming smaller, the blood vessels in the skin are become larger. This can result in blotchiness, and wrinkling.
In the last several years, there have been studies emerging claiming that alcohol can have benefits, particularly red wine. In reality, it is not wine that is beneficial to the human heart, but the flavonoids that it contains. A person could experience the same heart healthy benefits by drinking a glass of grape juice or eating a cluster of red grapes. Better yet, red grapes are loaded with antioxidants which help to fight free radicals (which promote cancer growth).
It's important to keep these things in mind if you are debating about whether to drink or not. Consider the alcohol ads on TV or in magazines that always advice, Drink Responsibly. Although alcohol is legal, it has great potential to harm your health and livelihood. Using alcohol as a means to relax or be social can lead to a dangerous habit. If you are not ready or interested in abstaining from using it, try to remember the benefits of doing it only sporadically. It can be fun to have a glass of wine at a wedding, but it's even more fun to live a healthy life.
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