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Ways Moderate Alcohol Consumption Can Be Beneficial

It breaks the ice. It provides you with a bit of courage. It helps you loosen up and get comfortable. It’s a happy hug at the end of long, stressful days. Alcohol is something the vast majority of people enjoy on a regular basis, and there is nothing wrong with a bit of booze when it’s in moderation. In fact, alcohol might actually prove beneficial to your health and your overall quality of life when you consume it in moderation, drink the right stuff, and you make sure you stay smart about it.

Understanding Moderation

Before you learn how alcohol might benefit your health, it’s important to know that it only benefits in moderation. Too much to drink completely undermines the healthy benefits of alcohol consumption and detracts from your overall health. Moderation does not have a one-size fits all definition. By the CDC’s standards, moderation means 1 or fewer glasses of alcohol each day for women. That number doubles for men. Women can consume the following per day and maintain a 1 drink limit:

– 5 ounces red or white wine
– 1.5 ounces liquor
– 12 ounces beer

Men can double each serving size to maintain moderate alcohol consumption. The key to reaping health benefits from alcohol consumption is to avoid exceeding these measurements on a daily basis.

Kidney Stone Prevention

When you drink alcohol, you have to use the bathroom more often. Those who consume beer in moderation lower their risk of developing kidney stones by up to 41%. If you drink wine in moderation, you lower your risk of developing kidney stones by up to 33%. It doesn’t matter if you drink white or red. All that matters is that you urinate more often to help clear out the deposits in the kidneys that accumulate and develop kidney stones.

More Intimacy

Studies reveal that women who have one drink per day are more likely to want to be intimate with their partners, and men who have two drinks per day feel the same way. While this might not sound much like a health benefit, it is. When your intimate life is healthier, it benefits your health in a number of ways. Being intimate burns calories and helps you stay active. It also releases endorphins in the brain that increase your good mood and make you happier. When you are happier, you are more likely to make better decisions such as eating healthier meals and working out more often. It also helps you sleep better, which improves the way both your metabolism and immune system function. Essentially, a healthier intimate life is better for your life as a whole.

Good Heart Health

Most everyone knows by now that a glass of red wine a day keeps the doctor away, and it is true to an extent. People who have one drink per day are anywhere from 25 to 40 percent less likely to suffer heart problems. This includes heart attack and stroke. There are people who still believe that drinking a second or third glass of alcohol each day makes them less likely to suffer from heart problems, but it actually increases your chances of heart issues.

Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

One of the most devastating health problems in the world is Alzheimer’s Disease. Those who have lived with loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s see their memories fade and their mind begin to fail them. It’s like watching some die but remain in good physical condition at the same time, which is a difficult situation in which to live.

A drink or two each week has been medically linked to a decreased chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Keep in mind, however, that more than moderate drinking causes heart problems, and heart problems such as heart attack and stroke increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

Before you go out and order a cocktail during happy hour, remember that moderation is what’s important. The line between moderate drinking and too much is a fine one, but it’s one that drastically changes the outcome of your good health. One drink per day is beneficial to your health. More than that and you begin to see your health decline rapidly.