Every time you take a sip of alcohol, it travels
throughout your whole body and harms every part of your body in one
way or another. This section explains in detail how
alcohol harms every specific part of your body, the increased risks
associated with drinking and the supporting
study:
Cancer risk - increased by
drinking any amount of alcohol. It doesn't matter if it's beer, wine
or whiskey, and the best way to protect yourself from
alcohol-related cancers is not to drink. Alcohol increases
cancer-causing free radicals. Cancers of the mouth, pharynx,
esophagus and larynx develop when sensitive tissues are directly
exposed to alcohol in beverages.{"Alcohol/Cancer Link Is Solid,"
American Institute for Cancer Research (AIRC) Newsletter -aicr.org -
October 2001} Exposure to chemicals is just one environmental factor
that combines with a person's genetic predispositions to cause
cancer. Others include diet, smoking habits, alcohol
consumption, and exposure to sunlight,
radiation, and viruses. Most cancers arise in people who were born
with healthy genes: environmental factors play a role in perhaps 80%
of all cancers. Prevention could greatly reduce this. {"Cancer and
the Environment: A Primer for Primary Care Physicians,"
www.psrus.org - April 2002}
A U.S. Government report on what causes
cancer now includes alcoholic beverages. {"New Cancer Report removes
saccharin and adds alcohol," Reuters, nutrition.about.com - June
2001}
Toxin - The National Toxicology
Program at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services now warns
that alcoholic beverages are “known to be human
carcinogens.” The NTP now lists alcoholic beverage
consumption along with arsenic, asbestos, benzene, and others as
cancer-causing. This was based on three years of study and
may call for future labeling of all alcoholic beverages to have
warnings about cancer risk.{Center for Science in the Public
Interest Bulletin, May 2000}
Tumors- Alcohol is a
tumor-promoter and a carcinogen. The use of alcohol increases cancer
risk and has a profound effect. For the lowest possible cancer risk,
alcohol should be avoided. Alcohol use alters certain DNA proteins.
Individuals who consumed about 7.5 ounces of wine, or 35 ounces of
beer, or 3.75 ounces of hard liquor per week week, or the equivalent
of one drink per week for over 20 years were 60% more likely to
develop a tumor with a genetic defect.{"Alcohol ups risk of
genetic defect in colon cancer," HealthCentral.com -Aug.
2001}
Vitamins
- Alcohol damages cells, thereby promoting cell division; stimulates
enzymes that activate other carcinogens; robs the body of
cancer-protective nutrients such as Vitamin A, folate and selenium;
it irritates delicate organ linings; diminishes the body’s ability
to eliminate dangerous cancer-causing particles called free
radicals, and harms enzymes that repair damaged DNA. Some forms of
alcohol also carry their own arcinogens, such as nitrosamines, into
the body. A seemingly small amount of alcohol is a very potent
carcinogen. Avoid alcohol
to prevent cancer and cancer recurrence: alcohol can greatly speed
up the disease of cancer.
Melanoma - A Harvard University study found that one
alcoholic drink daily led to an eighty percent higher melanoma
risk. {in the book, “Skin Deep,” Carol Turkinton and Jeffrey
Dover, MD, 1998}
Melanoma is a very serious form of skin cancer. It begins in
melanocytes— cells that make the skin pigment called melanin.
Although melanoma accounts for only about 4% of all skin cancer
cases, it causes most skin cancer-related deaths. The American Cancer Society
estimates that about 53,600 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the
United States during 2002. About 7,400 people in the US are expected
to die of melanomas during 2002.
Wine - Many wines have been found to be
contaminated with cancer-causing urethane.{Nutrition Action Health
Letter, April 1988)
Alcohol acts as a co-carcinogen; that is it can increase the
effectiveness of other cancer-causing agents: it damages cells,
thereby promoting cell division; robs the body of cancer-protective
nutrients such as Vitamin A, folate and selenium; and harms enzymes
that repair damaged DNA. Some forms of alcohol carry their own
carcinogens, such as nitrosamines, into the body. “We consider
alcohol a toxin,” says Dr. Moshe Shike, Director of Clinical
Nutrition at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The protective
effects of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appear to be lost on
drinkers (of alcohol).{Cancer Smart, March
1996}
Diet - The physicians at
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center warn that alcohol is a ‘toxin’ and
that the protective effect of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
are lost on those who drink alcohol. {“Cancer Smart,” newsletter,
1996} Ingestion of alcohol, which is known to promote folic acid
deficiency, has been linked to an increase of colon cancer.
{American Journal of Epidemiology, 1998} Physicians stress a
low-fat diet, regular exercise and an avoidance of alcohol and
tobacco as the best prevention for most cancers. {"Aspirin may lower
cancer risk," by Marta Adrich, associated press writer, Nashville,
Tenn., stopgettingsick.com, May 25, 2001} An article published by
The American Institute for Cancer Research in 1997, "Food, Nutrition
and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective," stated that a
plant-based diet and the avoidance of alcohol, together with the
maintenance of recommended body mass and regular physical activity,
may decrease the incidence of breast cancer by about 35 to
50%.{"Complementary Approaches to Breast Cancer," William Bergman,
MD, healthology.com - Oct. 2001} A study in the journal Epidemiology
reported that women whose diets were lowest in folate faced no
greater cancer risk than women with higher-folate diets, if they
were nondrinkers. But if they drank more than two alcoholic drinks a
week, their breast cancer risk increased almost 60 percent. Almost
one in three cancers could be prevented through healthier eating,
and researchers have published preliminary study results showing
that an increase in consumption of vegetables (especially cooked
vegetables) show the greatest reduction in DNA damage levels from
which cancer can potentially develop. Eating more vegetables and
fruits while eating meats in moderation has a positive effect. I
don't believe anyone disputes the effectiveness of vegetables in
promoting health. {www.mercola.com - June 2001}
Pancreatitis - Alcohol is a common cause
of pancreatitis. {from book, "Good Foods for Bad Stomachs," by Henry
Janowitz, MD, 1997, in the Townsend Letter for Doctors and
Patients}
Insulin - Insulin seems to be one of the
main drivers for cancer. Alcohol use increases insulin levels. So if you want to prevent
cancer, or want to treat cancer, it is absolutely imperative that
you keep insulin levels as low as possible. This will also slow down
the aging process and decrease your risk for just about all
degenerative diseases. {mercola.com - October 2001} Author's comment: The
use of alcohol increases insulin
levels.
Nutrients - Author's comment: Alcohol
robs the body of cancer-protective nutrients and researchers have
found that the protective effects of a diet rich in fruits and
vegetables are lost on those who drink alcohol.{Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Institute}.
Alcohol consumption has a strong anti-folic acid effect, and
deficiency of this nutrient enhances intestinal cancer.{"Alcohol,
colon cancer, and folic acid," "Nutrition Hints," by Betty Kamen,
PhD, and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD, Source: Journal of Nutrition
(2002) It is no less than shocking to realize that 60 to 80
percent of cancer worldwide can be prevented through a practical
nutritional approach coupled with the avoidance of alcohol and
tobacco products. {Barry Bittman, MD, “Cancer Prevention: What We
Need to Know,” HealthWorld Online, Feb. 2002}Several studies
associate the intake of alcohol, including beer, with increased
cancer risk.{“Diet and Cancer: Food Additives, Coffee, and Alcohol,”
Nutrition and Cancer, 1983 & Editorial Staff: “Beer Drinking and
the Risk of Rectal Cancer,” Nutrition Reviews, 1984} Also note that
tannic acid found in wines is linked to liver cancer.{In
alternativemedicine.com - October 2002}The effects of alcohol
consumption on the risk of various types of cancers have been
studied extensively. An analysis of 123 studies found not only
higher risks for cirrhosis, but also relationships for colorectum,
liver, and breast cancers.{“Alcohol Effects on People,” U.S.
Department of Transportation (NHTSA),
2002}
Colon and Rectal Cancer -Alcohol
consumption was strongly related to the risk of colon cancer in both
men and women.{"Alcohol and nutrients in relation to colon cancer in
middle-aged adults," American Journal of Epidemiology, 1993, The
Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health}
According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol has been linked to
rectal and colon cancers. The strongest link is between beer
drinking and rectal cancer in men.{“Cancer and the American Man,” A
90’s Survival Guide, Stephen Austin, ND, in Let’s Live magazine,
1997}
Breast Cancer - One of the reasons
alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in women is that the
alcohol competes with the liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen
because it is already busy converting the
alcohol to glucose. Therefore the amount of estrogen increases. Dr.
Northrup expressed amazement that we stress alcohol for heart
disease prevention, yet ignore the risk-free benefits of
supplements.{Dr. Christiane Northrup, Health Wisdom for Women
newsletter, April 1998}Alcohol raises the blood levels of the
hormone estradiol and other reproductive hormones. Those women who
averaged one drink a day were 2 times more likely to develop breast
cancer than women who did not drink. Alcohol consumption also
hastens the loss of calcium from the body, setting the stage for
osteoporosis.{‘Alcohol, Women, and Heart Disease,” Robert Haas in
his book, Permanent Remissions}One of the reasons alcohol increases
the risk of breast cancer in women is that it competes with the
liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen, since it is busy converting
the alcohol to glucose. Therefore, the amount of estrogen increases.
Don't drink (alcohol)!{Dr. Christiane Northrup, Health Wisdom for
Women newsletter, April, 1998}Alcohol boosts estrogen levels and if
you drink it daily, you may elevate it more than you realize.
Researchers are concerned that prolonged exposure to high levels of
estrogen may increase breast cancer. {The News and Observer, NC,
August, 1998, Joe Graedon’s column} Although many women worry about
pesticides and toxic chemicals, the chemical most clearly shown to
affect breast cancer risk is alcohol.{‘Making Risk Personal,’
washington Post Health, June 2000} Breast cancer patients with high
levels of insulin in their blood seem to be eight times more likely
to die of their disease than other women, and almost four times as
likely to have their cancer recur at a distant sight, Canadian
Researchers have found. Evidence shows that in the breast, insulin
spurs the growth of both normal and cancerous cells.{“Insulin level
may help predict cancer survival,” HealthCentral.com - June
2000} Author’s comment:
Alcohol use raises insulin levels. Alcohol has an estrogenic
activity. I think breast cancer results from a complex interaction
of genetic and environmental factors, in which lifestyle choices,
such as diet, use of alcohol, and exposure to estrogenic toxins have
much more influence than emotion.{Dr. Andrew Weil, ‘Spontaneous
Healing’} Alcoholic beverages are now a "known" human carcinogen,
which indicates that there is a cause and effect relationship
between the exposure and human cancer, and there are studies that
show a specific link to drinking and breast cancer. Epidemiologic
research has shown a dose-dependent association between alcohol
consumption and certain types of cancer. According to JAMA, reducing
alcohol consumption is a potential means to reducing breast cancer
risk.{"Alcohol and Breast Cancer," alcoholism.about.com - Feb.
2002}For most women, low intakes of B-vitamins do not represent a
major risk factor for breast cancer. People who have adequate folate
intake, however, may have a better capacity to repair DNA damage
caused by the acetaldehyde."When the body breaks down alcohol it
produces acetaldehyde, which has been known to cause
cancer.{"Drinking plus low folate linked to breast cancer,"
Epidemiology 2001, womenshealthchannel.com - April 2002}There is
good evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer in women who
drink alcoholic beverages, regardless of the type of alcoholic
beverage they choose. {"Diet and Breast Cancer," Dr. Andrew Weil's
Self Healing newsletter, Aug. 2002} Moderate physical activity over
the course of a lifetime can reduce a young woman’s risk of breast
cancer by 33 percent, and after menopause by 26 percent. This
exercise should begin in the teen years. Exercise reduces insulin
levels, which are associated with an increased risk in
cancer.{“Exercise and cancer revention,” Nutrition Hints # 994,
Betty Kamen, PhD,and Michael Rosenbaum, MD, from Psychooncology 2002
- Additional comments about this report on
mercola.com}
The results of fifty-three studies
worldwide show that daily consumption of alcoholic beverages,
equivalent to ten grams a day, raises the chances of developing
breast cancer. This analysis includes data on 150,000 women, and
shows a clear link between alcohol and breast cancer. It is believed
that the pathway may involve changes in estrogen levels. {British
Journal of Cancer 2002}Ten grams is approximately ‘one’ alcoholic
drink. Every drink you take causes thiamine loss, impaired B6
activation, folate loss, and increased magnesium excretion. If you
are on hormone therapy, one or two glasses of wine causes a
three-fold increase in estrogen circulating in the blood, and the
levels begin to rise within ten minutes of taking a drink. Increased
blood levels of estrogen heighten the risk of breast
cancer.
{From the book “Hormone Replacement
Therapy: Yes or No,” by Betty Kamen -
2002}
Prostate Cancer-The risk of prostate
cancer was found to be increased according to the amount of alcohol
consumed.{US TOO International, Inc., Prostate Cancer Survivor
Support Groups, 1996}Like saturated fat, alcohol appears to raise
prostate cancer by increasing the circulating levels of sex
hormones, and men who drink the most alcohol were the most likely to
die from prostate cancer, said a University of Massachusetts
study.{Self Healing newsletter, Andrew Weil, MD, April 1999}Ways to
lower risk without the use of alcohol: In the journal Cancer Causes
and Control, UCLA research shows that, in a short time, exercises
and dietary changes (Pritikin approach) can have a dramatic effect
on inducing prostate cancer cells to die.{healthy.net, Jan. 21,
2003}
Judgment - When Impairment Begins
-Impairment in performance begins at below 0.02% BAC (1/2 drink can
result in this level).{NIAAA - Alcohol Problems and Aging: 1998 U.S.
Dept. of Health and Human Services.At low doses the effects of
alcohol may include alterations in mood, cognition, anxiety level,
and motor performance. It may also impair performance several hours
after the blood alcohol level has gone down. Even slightly elevated
levels result in more fatal accidents, and the majority of
individuals who experience a problem related to alcohol use are
light and moderate drinkers.{Department of Health and Human Services
in their reports to Congress 1990 and 1993}One to two drinks of
alcohol impair mental and physical abilities; mental processes such
as restraint, awareness, concentration and judgment are affected,
reaction time slowed, and an inability to perform complicated
tasks.{“The Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs,” Motorcycle Safety
Foundation, Irvine, CA, 1991}Any blood alcohol level, even a BAC of
0.02%, the result of just one drink, increases the risk of a crash.
Alcohol impairs nearly every aspect of the brain’s ability to
process information, as well as the eye’s ability to focus and react
to light.{University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter, Jan.
1998} Alcohol ingested in any quantity reduces cardiac output and
destroys a vital enzyme necessary for muscle contraction.{in the
book, “Guidelines to Safe Drinking,” Nicholas Pace, M.D., an expert
on the effects of alcohol,
1984}
Liver/Brain - Overwhelming evidence has
proved that alcohol itself is toxic to the liver, even when
nutrition is adequate. Acetaldehyde, the primary metabolic product
of alcohol in the liver, appears to be the key generator of free
radicals.{“Alcohol and the Liver,” Alcohol Alert, National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Jan. 1993} Normal liver function is
essential to life. Alcohol-induced liver damage disrupts the body's
metabolism, eventually impairing the function of other organs.
Multiple physiological mechanisms, discussed in the following
sections, interact to influence the progression of ALD. Medications
that affect these mechanisms may help prevent some of the medical
complications of ALD or reduce the severity of the illness.
Alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of illness and
death in the United States. Fatty liver, the most common form of
ALD, is reversible with abstinence. More serious ALD includes
alcoholic hepatitis, characterized by persistent inflammation of the
liver, and cirrhosis, characterized by progressive scarring of liver
tissue. Either condition can be fatal, and treatment options are
limited. During the past 5 years, research has significantly
increased our understanding of the mechanisms by which alcohol
consumption damages the liver. When you consume alcohol, the body
immediately begins to break it down. In the process, breakdown
products called ethyl esters speed the movement of positively
charged potassium ions from brain cells through the outer membranes,
creating a negative charge within the cell. This impairs calcium
channels - a bad thing since the brain cells rely on calcium to
communicate with other cells throughout the body. When calcium
concentrations decrease, so does brain cell communication, resulting
in the behaviors we recognize as intoxication. It slurs speech,
decreases your cognitive ability, and even relaxes inhibitions by
breaking down inhibitory pathways, which then leads to inappropriate
behavior.{Journal of Biological Chemistry, Dec. 20, 1996} The
activity of a particular subtype of a glutamate receptor, called the
NMDA receptor, known to be critical for the memory deficits that
people experience after drinking, is very powerfully inhibited by
alcohol - even in very low doses. While that drink will promote
relaxation it will compromise learning and memory. Studies indicate
that certain parts of the brain are more vulnerable to the damage
done by alcohol, such as the cortex, which endows us with
consciousness and controls most of our mental functions.{in the book
“Buzzed,” Cynthia Kuhn, 1998} The blocking of inhibitions is caused
by alcohol's action on the higher centers of the brain's cortex,
particularly the part of the brain that controls reason and
judgment. It then acts on the lower centers of the limbic system
that rule mood and emotion, and even at low-to-medium doses can
increase self-confidence, sociability, and sexual desire, but can
also result in aggression, violence and sexual assault. This
disinhibition is mostly due to the interference with GABA, an
inhibitory neurotransmitter.{Alcoholmd.com - October
2001}
Weight
Gain -
February 1999 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
found that, compared with juice or water, having one alcoholic drink
before a meal led to eating 200 extra calories, on top of the extra
calories in the drink itself. Subjects ate faster, took longer to
feel full, and continued eating even after they were no longer
hungry, which lead to an increase in weight gain{‘ Drink Less, Eat
Less,’ Prevention magazine, Jan. 2001} The use of alcohol
contributes to weight gain and increases the chance that you will
use tobacco. Then it plays havoc with self-discipline and will-power
while trying to lose weight or trying to quit smoking. Being
overweight or obese can increase the risk of heart disease and
late-onset diabetes, as well as result in slower cognitive
abilities, increased pain and decreased mobility. Just the use of
alcohol alone can also cause slower cognitive abilities, diabetes
and weight gain, adding to these problems of being overweight. {A Swiss study in the NEJM
in May 1997, Reader's Digest} Alcohol is high in calories and devoid
of nutrients, so it can contribute to a weight problem. Besides the
issue of calories, alcohol consumption can make you overeat, since
it anesthetizes your taste buds, makes your food less satisfying and
can make you eat more than you would if you hadn't
imbibed.{“Preventing Heart Disease,” The New Pritikin Program, 1998}
Alcohol is listed as the worst drink if you want your belly to be
flatter. Beer and liquor tend to raise levels of cortisol, a hormone
that appears to steer fat toward the tummy. You're also more likely
to get the munchies when you've been drinking.{Prevention, Dec.
1999}Fluid calories add to your caloric intake, but with little
effect on your satiety or feeling of fullness, says Richard Mattes,
PhD, nutrition professor at Purdue University. Alcohol slows down
the breakdown of fat. Fat is burned in our liver, but when we drink
alcohol, the alcohol burns instead of fat, cautions Charles
Lieber, MD, Director of Alcohol Research, Bronx Veterans
Administration Center.{"Anatomy of a Pigout," marieclaire.women.com
- Oct. 2001} Metabolism is the energy our body uses while at rest.
The BMR (basic metabolism rate) is the rate at which calories are
expended for basic activities such as keeping the heart beating,
lungs breathing, etc.). People who are more muscular, with a
lower percentage of body fat have a higher metabolism. One of the
recommendations to increase BMR and keep it elevated is to avoid
alcohol, which can depress your metabolism and stimulate your
appetite.
Medication - Alcohol, even in small
amounts, when mixed with medications has the potential to cause
problems. Also, a chemical in some beers and wine, interacts with
some anti-depressants and produce a dangerous rise in blood
pressure.{Alcohol Alert, NIAAA,
1995}
Light drinking - Light drinking is harmful, say
researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Death rates for young adults and middle-aged women increased with
the amount of alcohol consumed, even as little as one drink per
week. This study in the July 27, 2002 British Medical Journal stated
that the amount of alcohol that was associated with the lowest death
rates was no alcohol for women under 35.{"Even light drinking can be
harmful," Food and Fitness Advisor, The Center for Women's
Healthcare, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, October
2002}Even one beer (or one drink) can slow your reactions and
confuse your thinking. This means anything that requires
concentration and coordination -like driving - is more dangerous
when you’ve had a drink. Drinking is a problem if it interferes with
how you think or feel.{familydoctor.org - May
2003}
Dose-related Effects of Alcohol - In
general, the less alcohol we drink, the better off we are,” says Don
Nelson, Pharm. D., Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and
Cell Biophysics at the University of
Cincinnati College of Medicine, a
researcher of the biological effects of
alcohol. “In any quantity, alcohol
kills cells in every organ in the
body.”{“Why Drinking and Living Longer Don't Mix.”
Longevity magazine, Jan.
1994}
Effect on Allergies and Allergic
Individuals -Avoid alcohol during the allergy season. The worst
drink you could possibly have? Red wine, because it actually
stimulates histamine. Alcohol can escalate symptoms because it can
dilate blood vessels, including those in your nose, causing the
nasal passages to swell.{Seasonal Allergy Update, by Hoecht Marion
Roussel advertisement, makers of Allegra, 1996} Eliminate alcohol for the
first 90 days of the Optimum Health Program and reduce use to only
occasionally afterward. Limit alcohol if you have allergies. People who drink alcohol are
more likely to have food allergies.(James Braly, "Food, Allergy and
Nutrition Revolution") Avoid alcohol during allergy season. The
worst drink you could possibly have? Red wine, because it actually
stimulates histamine. While people with seasonal allergies are not
allergic to alcohol itself, it can escalate symptoms. Alcohol
dilates blood vessels, including those in your nose, causing the
nasal passages to swell.(Seasonal Allergy Update, by Hoechst Marion
Roussel advertisement, makers of Allegra. 1996)Avoiding ‘triggers’
can eliminate 50% to 70% of allergic reactions. Over the past 20
years, there has been an increase in allergies in the U.S., from the
most prevalent disorder to food allergies and allergy-related
ailments such as asthma and sinusitis. Allergies seem to increase
with the Western lifestyle with possible correlates: smaller
families, use of antibiotics early in life, diesel-exhaust particles
and changes in diet toward more processed foods.(“Living With Your
Allergies,” Reader’s Digest, April, 2000) A new study finds
that drinking alcohol may trigger stronger-than-normal reactions to
everyday allergens like dust mites. About 30 percent of the
population has a genetic tendency to be allergic to something.
Alcohol can increase our natural sensitivities to allergens, says
Arturo Gonzalez-Quintela, associate professor of internal medicine
at the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago in Spain. His
study is in this month's 'Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental
Research.' The focus was on the possible influence of smaller
amounts of alcohol and normal amounts. "Alcohol seems to interfere
with the immune system - and even moderate amounts have a subtle
effect on immunity," he tells WebMD.("Booze Could Be Tied To Allergy
Blues," webMD.com, Jan. 2002) In the U.S. alone, 50
million individuals suffer from allergies. (James
Kemp, M.D., President of the American
Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, March 2000) Headaches and
breathing problems can result from drinking red wine, and the
culprits seem to be sulfites, histamine and possibly tannins.
Alcoholic beverages may spell trouble for asthmatics. Australian
researchers suggest that wine appears to be a particular culprit in
triggering asthma attacks. Wines, both white and red, were most
commonly cited as a cause, and
reactions were usually seen within an
hour of taking the drink. The authors note that although most asthma
attacks triggered by alcohol are mild, the study findings suggest
that severe attacks may also occur. ("Alcohol may prompt asthma
attacks," Reuters Health, source: Journal of Allergy and
Medicine.)
Noise-induced Hearing Loss -
The use of alcohol causes vasodilation and actually makes
you more sensitized to noise-induced hearing loss and once your
hearing is gone...it’s gone! There are 28 million people
with significant hearing loss, one-third of these from noise-induced
hearing loss.{Dr, Harold Pillsbury, Professor of Surgery and
Otolaryngology at the University of NC School of
Medicine}
Lung
Infection - Alcohol
makes the lung liable to injury and infection by producing a
decrease in alveolar epithelial levels of glutathione, an
antioxidant, as well as inhibiting the response to bacterial
infection. In a recent study by Australian researchers of
asthmatics, 42% have reactions to alcoholic drinks - wine being the
most frequent cause. Asthmatic reactions generally appeared quickly
and were moderate in intensity. Drinking alcohol dramatically
boosts the risk of common gene mutation in smokers developing lung
cancer. (Alcohol Research Center, alcoholresearch.Isumc.edu -
August 2002)
Sinus
Infection - Drinking alcohol causes the nasal-sinus membranes to
swell. When this swelling involves mucous membranes of the sinuses,
air and mucus are trapped behind the narrowed openings of the
sinuses. If the sinus openings become too narrow to permit drainage
of the mucus, then bacteria begin to multiply. Vasomotor rhinitis,
caused by alcohol use, can be complicated by sinus infections.
("Causes
of Sinusitis, seniorhealth.about.com - Dec. 24,
2001)
Arthritis
- There are 50 million Americans suffering with arthritis. (“Health
and
Healing”
newsletter by Julian Whitaker, M.D., Aug. 1997) There are 68% of the
women older than 65 who have osteoarthritis. Almost everyone over
the age of 60 (43 million Americans) has some form of
osteoarthritis, although only about 1/2 have symptoms of pain or
stiffness. (People’s Medical Booklet, 1995) Avoid alcohol, which
promotes swelling and causes joint inflammation. (“Out of Joint,
Easing Arthritis Pain,” Healthwell.com, Sept. 24, 2000) The
Arthritis Foundation booklet on, “How to Manage Your Pain,” (1966)
lists drinking alcohol as an unhealthy practice for decreasing pain.
40 million in the U.S. are affected by arthritis. 15.5% of Americans
suffer from some form, including 1/2 of those who are 65 and over.
The cost each year is $149.4 billion. "Joint Venture:
Maintaining Healthy Joints as We Age." Anything the body perceives
as an 'offending substance,' such as alcohol and cigarette smoke,
may activate the inflammatory process and make the condition more
persistent. (Jeffrey S. Bland, President of Healthcomm, Inc., in Gig
Harbor, Washington, in Delicious! magazine - May/June 1992) For
those with arthritis, avoid alcohol (he mentions wine) as well as
red meat because of the problem resulting in uric acid. In the 1989
book, “Arthritis:What Works,” by Sobel and Klein: Top rated
techniques
for fast relief.” Many arthritics report that they suffer
increased joint pain after even a small amount of alcohol. Toxins, most commonly
alcohol, can also cause muscle disease.
Alcohol
and the Sense of Reality
- "We can more easily be fooled when we drink alcohol or smoke. I
want to be sure of the real world around me as possible, and they
can fuzz the edge of rationality and reasoning powers - I do not use
either of them.” {James Randy, The Amazing Randy, the magician, is
famous for his investigations of psychics and exposing deceit. He
wrote the book, “The Truth about Uri Geller.”}{“Addicted,” Time
magazine, May 5, 1997}
Measurements
of Cognitive Function - Research
shows that alcohol adversely affects the brain. Statistically
significant decreases in test performance have been found for people
whose self-reported alcohol consumption was in the range of what was
considered social drinking. {“Alcohol Alert,” Alcohol and
Cognition, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, May
1989} One or two drinks of alcohol impair mental and physical
abilities. Mental processes such as restraint, awareness,
concentration and judgment are affected, reaction time is slowed and
there is a resulting inability to perform complicated tasks.
{“The Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs,” Motorcycle Safety
Foundation, Irvine CA, 1991}Alcohol has been shown to disrupt the
processing of new information in the brain (cognitive processing).
Alcohol may then be particularly disruptive to people with cognitive
deficits.{“Alcohol Research and Health,” Department of Health
and Human Services, 1999}Statistically significant decreases in
test performance have been found in social drinkers. Certain
deficits are correlated with alcohol consumption.{‘Alcohol
Alert’ from NIAAA - OnHealth.com - August 2000} Relatively small
amounts of alcohol impair processes in your brain that would
normally detect errors in performance and help you instigate
adjustments. {Nutrition Hints, "Alcohol and error performance,"
Hint #1020, Betty Kamen, PhD, and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD Source:
Science 2002,
scienceexpress.org}
Cellular
Effects and Related Behavorial Effects - Alcohol
anesthetizes the brain long after leaving the blood, as much as
twenty-four hours later. {Tufts University Diet and Nutrition
Newsletter, March, 1986} Alcohol can cause a short-circuit
in the brain’s communication networks that can give rise to
seizures, depression, manic-depressive episodes and a host
of
mental problems. {Robert
Post, Researcher and Chief of the Biological Psychiatry Branch of
the National Institute of Mental Health. Washington Post Health,
Aug. 1993} Alcohol and caffeine are two chemicals that have
been documented to trigger either panic attacks or acute anxiety in
susceptible individuals. Sixty-five million Americans suffer
annually from anxiety and insomnia according to Harold Bloomfield,
MD, in his book, “Healing Anxiety with Herbs,”1998.{“Can Diet and
Nutrition Affect the Mind?” by Joshua Leichtberg, MD, in Let’s Live
magazine, April 1995} Unlike other intoxicating substances,
alcohol doesn't attach to specific brain receptors, but instead has
far-reaching effects on many areas of the brain. One study suggests
that moderate amounts of ethanol (the type of alcohol in beer, wine,
and spirits) suppress activity in the hippocampus, a key area of the
brain for learning and memory. However, alcohol increased activity
in areas of the brain involved in emotion, processing sensory
information, drug-seeking behavior, and areas activated by stress.
{Reuters Health Information Service, Dec. 1996}When you
consume alcohol, the body immediately begins to break it down. In
the process, breakdown products called ethyl esters speed the
movement of positively charged potassium ions from brain cells
through the outer membranes, creating a negative charge within the
cell. This impairs calcium channels; a bad thing since the brain
cells rely on calcium to communicate with other cells throughout the
body. When calcium concentrations decrease, so does brain cell
communication, resulting in the behaviors we recognize as
intoxication. It slurs speech, decreases your cognitive ability, and
even relaxes inhibitions by breaking down inhibitory pathways which
then leads to inappropriate behavior.{Journal of Biological
Chemistry, Dec. 20, 1996} Many of ethanol's effects on
learning and memory stem from altered cellular activity in the
hippocampus and related structures. Evidence suggests that ethanol
disrupts activity in the hippocampus by interacting directly with
hippocampal neurons and by interacting with critical hippocampal
afferent neurons (nerves). Mounting evidence suggests that cognitive
abilities might be particularly sensitive to the effects of moderate
doses of ethanol. Moderate doses of alcohol disrupt the acquisition
and performance of spatial reference memory tasks, and reduce the
overall level of glutamate released at synapses within the
hippocampus.{"Ethanol, Memory, and Hippocampal Function; A
Review of Recent Findings," Aaron White and Phillip J. Best (from
the Dept. of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Miami
University, Oxford, Ohio) and Douglas B. Matthews (Dept. of
Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN} Wiley-Liss, Inc.,
2000}Another mechanism that connects alcohol and violence is
that alcohol can cause a drinker to misjudge social cues causing a
person to perceive a threat where none existed. The alcohol disrupts
the judgment and reasoning center of the brain. {Miczek, 1997} In
some men alcohol can release their aggressive tendencies and they
become violent when they drink, but the violence was inside them
before that first drink.{alcoholmd.com - Oct. 2001}Alcohol
literally goes to your head faster than other foods. Unlike
carbohydrate, fat, and protein, which must pass from the stomach to
the small intestines before being absorbed into the blood stream,
about 20% of the alcohol drunk goes directly from the stomach to the
blood, and from there to the brain.{Special supplement to the Tufts
University Health & Nutrition Letter, Feb. 2002}Alcohol also
disrupts the function of various other neurotransmitters including
serotonin, endorphins and acetylcholine. Serotonin affects moods,
appetite and sleep. The obvious effect of long-term alcohol
consumption is the loss of muscular coordination.{"Effects of
Alcohol on the Brain," Alcohol Research Center, LSUHSC - Louisiana
State University Health Sciences Center, August 2002} Ethanol is a two-carbon alcohol and can be
considered an active brain-drug and an all-purpose cellular toxin.
Even moderate alcohol abuse distorts the personality, emotions, and
intellect of the ‘social drinker, which is a direct consequence of
brain dysfunction caused by ethanol and other chemical pathogens in
alcoholic beverages. Even low doses of alcohol interfere with memory
and make it difficult for the hippocampus to process new
information. As a brain drug, ethanol acts to depress the brain
function from the top down, very much in the style of an anesthetic.
Acetaldehyde is particularly toxic. {nutramed.com - April 2003}It has long
been accepted that alcohol severely affects the ability of the brain
to function. The senses are suppressed along with inhibitions and
decision-making skills. Alcohol can have subtle effects on
personality and emotions, and impairing cognitive abilities such as
perception, learning and memory. The brain is flooded with alcohol
whenever you drink, and one of the direct toxic effects of alcohol
is its ability to change the production of neurotransmitters. There
is sufficient research to support the fact that even in small doses,
alcohol has an inhibitory effect on glutamate (causing
the glutamate receptor to be up-regulated,
especially in the hippocampus, and area of the brain responsible for
memory and is related to epileptic seizures). GABA over-activity
occurs as well.{"Effects of Alcohol on the Brain," Alcohol
Research Center, LSUHSC - Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center, August 2002}
Brain Cell
Death and Changes in Brain Function -Alcohol drinking does kill
brain cells. Alcohol may promote relaxation but it will compromise
learning and memory.{in the book “Buzzed,” Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, et
al., Duke University Medical Center. 1998}As
little as a few days of drinking can lead to loss of brain
cells.{U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in their
10th report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health, 2000}Men lose brain tissue almost three times faster
than women, and this loss may cause declines in memory, mood and
abstract reasoning.{ Associated Press, “Men’s brains shrink as
they age, study finds,” The Daily Progress, a newspaper in
Charlottesville, Virginia, April 11, 1996, and “Health and Healing”
newsletter, Dr. Julian Whitaker, May 2000} Alcohol use would
increase this. Alcohols are all toxic to
humans. The effects of alcohol on the brain can occur by both direct
and indirect means; indirectly through alcohol-induced deficiencies
in nutrition, liver disease, and through alterations of the function
of other bodily systems (e.g. immune, hormonal), which produce
substances that end up in the blood and get transported to the
brain. The brain is the organ most sensitive to alcohol. It also
receives less oxygen when alcohol is present, which adds to the
feeling of fatigue the following morning.{"Prevention Tips: Causes
of a hangover," www.mbhealth.org - Oct. 2002} The level of
impairment begins with your first alcoholic drink.{NCADI - Oct.
2002}
Brain Tissue - One of the permanent effects of
alcohol on the brain is to reduce the amount of brain tissue and to
increase the size of the ventricles instead. Another way in which
alcoholic drinks affect the brain is through depriving it of food
substances such as vitamins. Alcohol acts as a sedative on the
central nervous system, depressing the nerve cells in the brain,
dulling, altering and damaging their ability to
respond. {"Alcohol - Effects on the Body," Drinksense
Fact Sheets, gurney.co.uk - Nov. 2002}
Risk of Stroke Increased - Even light drinking
can double the risk of stroke (hemorrhage of the brain).{JAMA 1986} Moderate alcohol consumption increases the
potential risk of strokes caused by bleeding, although it decreases
the risk of strokes caused by blocked blood vessels (CAMARGO, C.A.,
"Moderate alcohol consumption and stroke: the epidemiological
evidence," Stroke 1989) {Alcohol Alert, NIAAA, 1992} Each year,
500,000 Americans suffer a stroke. A stroke is a hemorrage of a
blood vessel in the brain, that kills millions of brain cells, or a
spasm pinches a major artery, depriving the brain of oxygen. Strokes
kill 150,000 people annually. Limit alcohol or don't
drink.{“What Medicine Will Conquer Next,” Nov. 5, 1995,
Parade}Safe Ways To Maximize Brain
Functioning If you are wanting to reduce memory loss and
learning problems, here is a much safer way: vitamin E intake is
associated with less cognitive decline with age. In The Archives of
Neurology, an AMA publication, those consuming about 258 mg a day
had a 36 percent reduction in memory loss than those taking only 4.5
mg.{HealthWorld Online, September 2002}
Author's comment: Exercise and eating fruits and vegetables
will also improve memory and learning problems, and
will not have the risks of
alcohol. Staying physically fit can reduce a person’s risk of
cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other
conditions known to be associated with poor mental function in older
adults. Cardiorespiratory fitness may be
directly associated with blood
flow to the brain.{"Physically fit, forever alert," Nutrition Hints
- No. #1154, Betty Kamen, PhD, and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD -
Source: Journal of the American Geriatric Society
2003}
Alcohol and
Hangovers-
A hangover is actually a toxic
reaction or even a mild form of alcohol poisoning. Toxins can result
from chemicals in the alcohol. Methanol and acetone can be found in
drinks which some believe to cause hangovers worse than the
alcohol. {"Natural Hangover Help," herbsforhealth.about.com -
July 2002}
Headaches or other ailments that arise after wine
consumption usually have less to do with the alcohol, and more to do
with the unseen chemicals floating in the glass. . . {"Fruit of
the Vine," www.garynull.com, excerpted from E/The Environmental
Magazine, July 2002}
Many wines have been found to be
contaminated with cancer-causing urethane. {Nutrition Action
Health Letter, April 1988}
The headaches from wine have a
scientific reason: the headaches are caused by a reaction to certain
chemicals found in black grape skins, but it doesn't happen to
everyone. Certain people are also particularly sensitive to sulfur
dioxide, an anti-oxidizing agent added to just about all wines in an
attempt to keep them fresh. Of course the best cure for a hangover
is not to drink in the first place. {"Wine and Hangovers,"
www.ivillage.co.uk - Sept. 2002}
Pesky toxins are the
culprits responsible for the feeling of a hangover. The exact origin
of the toxins is unknown: they may be present in the alcoholic
beverage itself, or get created as a metabolic by-product by the
body in some fashion, or some combination of the two. The toxins
involved in a hangover are:
Ethanol — produced naturally
during fermentation, the making of alcohol; The by-products of
metabolism — When the liver breaks down the alcohol, enzymes produce
a by-product called acetaldehyde. This highly toxic substance enters
the system and can make you feel extremely ill. Congeners —
by-products of the alcohol fermentation and distillation process.
These are present in the drink itself. The level of congeners helps
explain why certain drinks give you a worse hangover than others.
More expensive alcohol generally contains fewer congeners because it
goes through a more rigorous distillation process that filters out a
higher percentage of congeners. Darker colored drinks, such as
whiskey, brandy and red wine have more congeners than lighter drinks
such as vodka, gin and white wine. {"Hangover Biology 101,"
Biology of hangovers and their causes, all-about-hangovers.com -
Sept. 2002}
Congeners are found essentially in all alcoholic
beverages, and how they work isn't known, but they're closely
related to the amount of pain you experience after drinking, says
Kenneth Blum, PhD, chief of the Addictive Diseases Division of the
University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. Red wine
can be a problem because it contains tyramine, a histamine-like
substance that can produce a killer headache. {"Hangovers -
Causes, Prevention, and Remedies," beekmanwine.com - Sept. 2002}
Most hangover remedies are ineffective. The primary cause of
hangovers is congeners which are byproducts of the fermentation
process that give alcoholic beverages flavor, aroma and color.
Disruption in Sleep - “Double Whammies” can occur when a person
consumes even small amounts of alcohol. Double Whammies happen when
one area of health is adversely affected because of alcohol use,
resulting in other areas also being negatively affected. For
example, when alcohol consumption causes an interruption or decrease
in restful sleep. Studies show that not having adequate sleep can
hasten aging and increase some diseases, like diabetes. Mental
agility often diminishes by middle age in those who have diabetes. A
lack of sleep resulting from alcohol use, or for other reasons, can
also cause a reduced production of thyroid stimulating hormone and
an increased blood level of cortisol which is associated with memory
impairment.
Depression - One study reported that depressed patients
have worse heart function after a heart attack, which could be the
source of their increased risk of death. Past research has linked
clinical depression with an elevated amount of stress hormones in
the blood. {"Depression Affects Nervous System and Can Cause Heart
Attacks," Circulation, Oct. 23, 2001 on www.mercola.com - Jan.
2002}
Author's comments: Alcohol can cause or contribute to
depression and cause an increase in stress hormones. Researchers
have found that even mild depression may suppress an older person's
immune system. Lead study author Lynanne McGuire, PhD, of Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine, says the results of the study printed in
the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2002, suggests that depressive
symptoms can exacerbate and accelerate the immunological declines
that accompany aging. {"Depression Affects Immunity,"
www.ivanhoe.com - Feb. 2002} Author's comment: Alcohol
consumption depresses the immune system as well as causes or
contributes to depression.In depression, which is the most common
serious brain disease in the U.S., the neural circuits responsible
for the regulation of moods, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior
fail to function properly, and critical neurotransmitters are out of
balance. Alcohol can be the cause of these
symptoms in some people, or worsen the symptoms already present. The
following illnesses are thought to be connected to the development
of depressive symptoms; nervous system disorders, vitamin
deficiencies, congestive heart failure, strokes, infectious
hepatitis and endocrine disorders (such as diabetes), all of which
are negatively affected by the use of alcohol. The many health
problems that are caused from alcohol use - digestion, depression,
anxiety, fatigue, lowered immunity, elevated triglycerides, etc.,
can result in unnecessary medical tests and medications, not to
mention the added stress and added expense
involved.
Gum/Periodontal Disease - The National Cancer
Institute says that regular use of mouthwashes containing alcohol
increases the chance of developing cancer.{Daily Progress, April 24, 1991}Alcohol (and caffeine) have a drying effect on
the mouth. Many women going through menopause complain of a dry
mouth and nearly 400 drugs reduce saliva flow as a side effect.{“The
Better Way,” Good Housekeeping, Sept. 1995}Alcohol can irritate
sensitive mouth tissues, and some studies have suggested that
long-term use of alcoholic rinses is associated with an increased
risk of oral cancers. The alcohol is used to dissolve
ingredients, not to disinfect, says Warren Scherer, DDS, a professor
at the New York University College of Dentistry in New York
City.{“Check Your Toothpaste and Mouthwash Labels,” Natural Health
magazine, September 2000} Saliva’s chemicals
neutralize tooth-decaying acid{Health magazine, Oct. 2000} When
alcohol dehydrates the body it lessens the amount of this helpful
saliva.The most popular mouthwash uses a 27% concentration of
alcohol (more alcohol than in a six-pack of beer), and this is
enough to dry the mouth, resulting in less saliva. Without the high
concentration of oxygen from the saliva, the anaerobic bacteria go
wild and there is an instant increase in sulfur production. The same
thing happens when you drink alcohol.{"Gum Infections, Gum
Disease, Periodontal Diseases and Bleeding Gums Can Kill You,"
Therabreath.com - Dr. Harold Katz, LLC, June 2003}If diabetes is
poorly controlled, higher glucose levels in the mouth fluids will
encourage the growth of bacteria that can cause gum disease. [See
topic below.] A dry mouth can make tasting, chewing, and swallowing
food difficult and impede speech, as well as cause mouth infections
and tooth decay. To avoid a dry mouth, avoid
alcohol. {"Diabetes and Periodontal (Gum) Disease," Methodist
Health Care System, Houston, Texas, www.methodisthealth.com - June 2003} Alcohol is a known
irritant to the membranes of the mouth and stomach. {in 1993
lecture from a pharmacist from People’s Drugstore, Charlottesville,
VA, at the Senior Center}It is estimated that up to 90% of the U.S.
population suffers from some form of gum disease.{Tech Update, Dec.
1998}According to a national study, gum disease raises stroke risk
(a 21-year follow-up).{HealthCentral, October 27, 2000} People
with gum disease have almost twice the risk of stroke.{Oct. 9 issue
of the Archives of Internal Medicine - http://archinte.ama-assn.org/
Washington Post Health, Oct. 24, 2000}Bad gums or damaged and
bleeding gums allow 350 types of bacteria to enter your
bloodstream.{“Your Gums or Your Life,” Modern Maturity, July/Aug.
2000}There is a direct dose-response
relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed weekly and the
severity of gum/periodontal disease. Research showed that when
alcohol consumption increased from zero to five drinks per week, the
risk of periodontal/gum disease rose from 10 percent to 20 percent;
for 10 drinks a week the risk rose to 20 percent; for 15 drinks per
week the risk rose to 30 percent; and for 20 drinks it rose to 40
percent. "When we see that kind of relationship, we know the
findings are solid," says Sara Grossi, DDS, senior research
scientist. Grossi theorizes that that alcohol may increase the risk
by decreasing the ability of the neutrophils to fight, interfering
with the clotting mechanism, decreasing the formation of new bone,
and causing deficiencies in vitamin B complex and protein -
components necessary for healing. {"Caution: Alcohol May Be
Hazardous to Your (Oral) Health,"www.research.buffalo.edu -
1999}
Author's comment: This article also cautions that low levels
of vitamins increase the risk of gum disease significantly, and this
antioxidant reduction compromises the ability of the gum tissue to
overcome oxidative stress, to maintain normal tissue and to control
the bacterial damage. Alcohol consumption depletes
vitamins/nutrients. For additional information see Alcohol -
Vitamins/Nutrients.
Bad Breath - Over 80 million
people worldwide suffer from bad breath, or halitosis. Alcohol
dries out the mouth and worsens this condition.{"Technology
Update," Prevention magazine, March 2000}Ten percent of the alcohol
discharged from the body is through the breath, sweat, and
urine.{Northern Lights Edu, June 2000}One of
the causes of bad breath include alcohol consumption. If you drink
alcohol you more than likely have bad breath, even though you may
not be aware of it. Mouthwashes containing alcohol are not
recommended. They tend to dry out the delicate tissues of the mouth,
which studies show may contribute to cancer of the mouth.{"Bad
Breath," Flora ParsaStay DDS, HealthWorld Online, Nov. 2001}
Heartburn - Alcohol is the major culprit in heartburn. An
article in the March 18, 1999, New England Journal of Medicine
reported a link between chronic, long-term heartburn and cancer of
the esophagus.{American College of Gastroenteritis, October
2000}There are 100 million consumers who suffer heartburn and acid
indigestion.{HealthCentral, Oct. 17, 2000} Alcohol increases
the amount of stomach acid you produce; with a late meal, it’s a
double whammy.{“Preventing heartburn Natural remedies for IBS
(Irritable Bowel Syndrome): Avoid foods and substances that can
irritate the digestive tract. Alcohol is one that tops the
list.{Prevention magazine, Aug. 2000} {One in five Americans have
IBS, according to Marvin Shuster, MD, Johns Hopkins newsletter,
April, 1998}Heartburn can often be controlled with lifestyle
changes, such as avoiding alcohol.{“New OTC Medications for
Heartburn,” Health After Fifty, Johns Hopkins Medical Letter, Nov.
1995}Dr. Lennon Smith, MD, a general, gastrointestinal, and vascular
surgeon and Brenda Watson, founder of Renew Life Health Clinics in
Tarpon Springs, Florida, suggests reducing or eliminating alcohol
consumption as one of the ways to prevent heartburn. The advice to
patients is cut out the CCRAAPP: cigarettes, coffee, refined sugar,
aspirin, alcohol, pop, and processed foods.{"Ease the burn - promote
acid production," Complementary Therapies in Chronic Care, American
Health, Jan. 2001}Heartburn occurs in males three to four times more
than females for reasons unknown. One of several ways to control
symptoms is to avoid alcohol as it worsens reflux.{"When Heartburn
Turns Serious," Digestive Health and Nutrition (a publication of the
American Gastroenterological Association), May/June 2002}If you take
a drink of alcohol/wine at night, Dr. Freston, MD, PhD, says it
will make nighttime heartburn worse. Alcohol can
provoke heartburn attacks.{Healthology Newsletter, 2002}Wine has an
acidic pH, and can cause heartburn and other digestive symptoms in
overly acidic people. As a substitute use de-alcoholized wine,
sparkling water or cider, mineral water with a twist of lime or
lemon.{"Food Substitutions for Acidic Foods," www.drlark.com - June
2002}The insert for Pepcid AC warns that the use of alcohol is more
likely to cause heartburn (2002).
Gastro-Esophogeal Reflux Disease ---
As many as ten percent of Americans have
heartburn every day, and approximately a third of otherwise healthy
Americans will suffer from heartburn at least once a month. Alcohol
is a common trigger for GERD (gastro-esophogeal reflux disease).
Americans take far too many drugs. It makes no sense to ingest pills
and risk side effects if the same result can be achieved by
lifestyle choices.{Arthur Feinberg, MD Associate Editor, HealthNews,
May 1997}An estimated 19 million Americans suffer from GERD, a
condition in which stomach acid regularly flows backward into the
esophagus and can lead to difficulty swallowing, chest pain, and
perhaps even esophageal cancer. In some cases chronic nausea can be
a symptom of GERD. Drinking less alcohol can lessen symptoms.{“When
Nausea Signals Something Serious,” Tufts University Health and
Nutrition Letter, July 1997}GERD refers to a condition in which
contents from the stomach flow back into the esophagus (reflux),
usually due to abnormally frequent relaxing of the muscular valve
meant to prevent this. Heartburn is the burning sensation
experienced when reflux occurs. Severe or untreated GERD can cause
esophageal ulcers and a precancerous condition.{HealthNews
newsletter, May 2000} Anything that weakens or loosens the sphincter
(LES) can cause GERD. Alcohol can make it worse. Sixty million
suffer from GERD at last once a month, and 15 million may have it
every day. {“Indigestion: when is heartburn serious,” CBS
Healthwatch - Library, June 2000}Alcohol increases the likelihood of
having symptoms of GERD, and alcohol can exacerbate reflux symptoms
by irritating the esophageal lining, increasing gastric acid
secretion or relaxing the LES (lower esophageal sphincter).
For those with acid reflux (GERD), the worst damage is often
done during sleep, concludes a new study presented at the American
College of Gastroenterology’s annual meeting in Seattle. An
estimated 15 million Americans experience heartburn, a common
symptom of acid reflux, and 60 percent of them have symptoms during
the night, when their bodies are least prepared to deal with them,
said the lead researcher. This esophagitis may cause bleeding or
ulcers in the esophagus, and the resulting damage is believed by
doctors to be a precursor to esophageal cancer, according to the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases.
If you have acid reflux during sleep, you have double
trouble; not only do you wake up at night but if this stomach acid
dwells in the esophagus, it may spill over into the lungs and create
breathing problems. If there is a problem of reflux at night, the
risk for cancer goes up. People don’t flush their systems during
sleep by frequent swallowing or salivating.{“Acid Reflux Can Be a
Night Stalker: Sleeping lets stomach acid collect in the esophagus,”
healthscout.com - October 2002} Author’s comment: Alcohol not only
increases reflux or GERD, but is the major culprit in heartburn, and
interferes with a restful sleep. For additional information see
Alcohol - Sleep. GERD sufferers are encouraged to avoid alcohol
because it may interfere with the proper function of the LES valve,
the valve that joins the stomach and the esophagus (that allows food
to pass, but prevents acid from returning). The risk of esophageal
cancer is more than seven times higher among people who regularly
suffer acid reflux.{"Is it really heartburn?" Prevention magazine,
March 2002}
Ulcers ---One in ten people ulcers some time in their
life. Ulcers kill 15,000 a year. {NBC News - TV, Dec. 18, 1995 Tom
Brokaw}Alcohol increases tissue inflammation
and can therefore worsen ulcers.
Effects of Alcohol on the Stomach, Esophagus,
and Intestines ---Alcohol slows gastric emptying, interferes with
the action of gastroesophageal sphincters, stimulates gastric
secretion and often injures the gastric lining, especially when
combined with aspirin. Alcohol also produces alterations in
intestinal mobility and mucosal function that results in
malabsorption.Seventh Special Report to Congress, Dept. of Health
and Human Services, 1990}Use of alcohol damages the lining of the
stomach and the small intestines. It alters gastric-acid secretion,
first increasing it and then decreasing it. {The Mount Sinai School
of Medicine Complete Book of Nutrition, Victor Herbert, MD and
Genell J. Subak-Sharpe, 1995}Certainly alcohol will make stomach acid far
worse: it stimulates acid and encourages overeating, says Grant
Thompson, MD, Chief of Gastroenterology in Ottawa, Canada and author
of many books, including "The Ulcer Story," and "The Angry Gut."
Alcoholic beverages with a low alcohol content, such as wine or
beer, strongly increase gastric acid. Alcohol can also interfere
with the workings of the muscles surrounding the stomach and change
the time it takes for food to move through it. This may lead to
enough time for bacteria to start to work on the food, and for gases
which are produced during this time, to lead to stomach pains. Also
alcohol slows down the breakdown of food into usable chemicals by
lowering the amount of digestive enzymes released from the
pancreas.{alcoholresearch.lsumc.edu - August 2002}Alcohol can cause a wide range of problems,
including gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach),
diarrhea and weight loss. These interrelated problems are due to the
effects that alcohol has on the lining of the stomach, as well as
impairment of intestinal enzymes and transport systems.
{“Healthy Lifestyle,” intelihealth.com - Harvard Medical
School’s Consumer Health Information, Nov. 2002}A complex mesh of
hundreds of millions of nerve cells spread like chicken wire
throughout the walls of the digestive tract.{Discover magazine,
December 2002} Author’s
comment: Alcohol is toxic to the nerves, and those who drink alcohol
have a higher risk of nerve damage. We spend $85.5 billion
dollars annually to treat stomachaches in the U.S.{Health magazine,
Oct. 2002}
Author’s comment: The use of alcohol increases the risk for
stomach aches. Constipation: keep the colon
hydrated. Alcohol actively dehydrates the body instead of
replenishing necessary fluids. {Christine L. Frissora, MD, FACP,
Healthology.com - Nov. 2001}
Constipation - Many factors can lead to a
constipated colon: coffee, refined sugar and
starch, alcohol and processed food (C.R.A.P.).
We need more essential fatty acids to lubricate the intestines.
According to the Lancet twenty years ago, women who are constipated
are four times more likely to develop breast cancer. When digestion
is poor and bowel movements are infrequent, toxins from the
bloodstream settle into the tissues creating many disease states,
including autoimmune disorders. "Constipation is a Serious Health Concern," a
pamphlet by RenewLife, the Digestive Care Company, www.renewlife.com
- 2002}
Hemorrhoids - Estimates vary, but hemorrhoids may affect as
many as one-third of Americans - some 75 million people. {Natural
Health magazine, Mar./Apr. 1998}
To help avoid hemorrhoids, cut down on alcohol
and caffeine, both of which
can make the stool dry and hard.
{"The Bottom Line On Hemorrhoids," Dr. Isadore
Rosenfeld, Parade Magazine, July 29, 2001} Author's
comment: Many other medical articles suggest limiting or eliminating
alcohol and caffeine because they dehydrate.
Leaky Gut Syndrome ---Alcohol causes increased gut
permeability.Alcohol, caffeine and tobacco need to be avoided
because they irritate the digestive tract.{“Natural Remedies for
IBS,” Prevention magazine, Aug. 2000}Anything that continuously
irritates the intestines, including alcohol and caffeine, can cause
"leaky gut."{"Digestion Problems," Women's Health Letter, Nan
Katherine Fuchs, PhD, Feb. 2002}Author's comment: Alcohol not only
can cause leaky gut, but the alcohol itself is an irritant to the gut, both of these place an
extra burden on the liver. Statistics on the Occurrence of High
Blood Pressureone in four Americans has high blood pressure, and
those over 60, one in two.{Reader’s Digest, Jan. 1996}Nearly
one-third of Americans who have high blood pressure are unaware of
it, which puts them at an increased risk for heart disease, stroke
and kidney failure.{HealthCentral.com - June 2000}
High Blood
Pressure/Stroke/Heart Attack-
Alcohol destroys a vital enzyme necessary
for muscle contraction when ingested in any quantity. It is also
risky for people with heart problems to drink at all since alcohol
can reduce cardiac output. {in the book,
“Guidelines to Safe Drinking,” Nicolas Pace, MD, 1984}
Alcohol inhibits
enzymes needed for heart contraction. Alcohol use is associated with
deleterious effects on virtually every part of the body. Eliminating
alcohol can reduce the symptoms of heart failure and improve the
quality of your life. {Alcohol Health and
Research World, 1989, and Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1990}
Alcohol interferes
with calcium absorption which is needed for heart contraction, so it
is likely to impair the strength of the heart muscle. {Alcohol Health and Research World, 1990, U.S.
Dept. of Health and Human Services}
Alcohol makes every
kind of irregular heart rhythm worse, says Paul Hopkins, MD, doctor
of internal medicine, University of Utah, Cardiovascular Genetics
Research Center in Salt Lake City. Eliminate alcohol and you may be
able to reduce or prevent symptoms of palpitations. {“Getting Healthy Now,” book by Gary Null, 1999
- www.sevenstories.com}
Low to moderate doses of alcohol
cause blood vessels within muscles to constrict, while causing those
at the surface of the skin to dilate. Blood cannot reach the muscles
where it is needed and performance is diminished. {Health and Human Services, pamphlet no. (CDC)
89-8414, DHHS publication} Editor's
comment: The
heart is a muscle.
The adverse effects
of alcohol on the heart muscle, or myocardium, have been known since
the 1700's, and although the reason is unclear, acetaldehyde (the
first product of alcohol oxidation), may induce myocardial damage
(Screiber et al.). Alcohol has been shown to diminish myocardial
protein synthesis (Bing). {"Role of Alcohol
in the Diseases of the Liver," NIH.gov - September 2002}
High Blood
Pressure
One in four adult
Americans has high blood pressure. {Reader’s
Digest, “High Blood Pressure,” Jan. 1996}
High blood pressure
can be triggered by alcohol consumption. {Family Guide to Stroke, Heart Association,
1994, and Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 1998}
Alcohol consumption
at any level significantly increases the risk of stroke, especially
in women. Medical studies show that those with high blood pressure
who drink alcohol should stop consumption because doing so results
in a decrease in blood pressure. Men are more susceptible than women
to the high blood pressure effect of alcohol. {"The Effects of Alcohol on the Heart," Alcohol
Research Center, LSUHSC, August 2002}
Strokes
Even light drinking
can double the risk of hemorrhagic strokes. {JAMA}
To reduce stroke risk, lower
triglycerides as well as cholesterol. According to the Dec. 11, 2002
issue of Circulation, high triglycerides raise your risk of stroke,
independent of your cholesterol levels. {Mt.
Sinai School of Medicine, Focus on Healthy Aging newsletter,
February 2002} Editor's comment:
Even small
amounts of alcohol increase triglycerides.
Alcohol
seems to interfere with the liver’s ability to metabolize hormones,
such as renin and angiotensin, which are important for maintaining
blood pressure control. There is also some evidence that alcohol
interferes with steroid production which is instrumental in
maintaining blood pressure.{Washington Post Health, Feb. 10,
1987}Eliminate alcohol, as regular alcohol use correlates with
elevated blood pressure. Alcohol taxes the liver and reduces the
ability to detoxify blood, thus causing more oxidizing and damaging
substances to remain in circulation where they can harm blood
vessels. Further, if the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is
less able to process fats, leading to elevated cholesterol levels.
If the liver becomes congested, stagnation in the portal veins,
those that deliver blood to the liver, can increase blood pressure
in all other vessels downstream.{ JAMA 1985 study in Nutrition
Science News, March 1999}Studies suggest that regular consumption of
alcohol raises blood pressure during the hours that alcohol is not
consumed, and can reduce magnesium levels which can increase blood
pressure. {U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services in their 10th
Report to Congress on Alcohol and Health. 2000}Limited accuracy
because this survey only covered the diets of the 17,000 adults for
the previous 24 hours. This is how the media can manipulate figures
and report that blood pressure is reduced by the use of alcohol. Two
Japanese studies from Alcohol: Clinical Experience and Research,
have shown that even modest amounts of alcohol consumption can lead
to an increase in blood pressure. This effect is more pronounced in
older men. According to the CDC, almost one in four Americans has
high blood pressure, but many don't know it because often there are
no symptoms. More than 17,000 people die from complications of this
disorder each year.{"Teetotaling Best for Blood Pressure,"
healthscout.com - July 2002} A study in the journal
“Circulation” found that alcohol can impair the body’s ability to
maintain a steady blood pressure. After drinking alcohol, people
have wider blood vessels and lower blood pressure, and these changes
impair the body’s ability to pump fresh blood to the brain, says Dr.
Virend K. Somers, a co-author of the study. As a result, drinkers
who suddenly stood up often felt lightheaded and sometimes
fainted.{HealthCentral.com - May 2000}Both alcohol use and stress
appear to increase blood pressure, in addition, stress is associated
with increased alcohol use. When stressed, a person is motivated to
drink in an effort to cope with negative feelings, which in turn are
made worse by alcohol use. Both systolic and diastolic blood
pressure were higher among daily drinkers than those who drank only
once a week, which significantly increased risk of stroke and
coronary disease.{Russell et al. 1991}{“Alcohol Research and
Health,” Journal of the NIAAA, Department of Health and Human
Services, 1999}Lowering blood pressure can reduce the chance of
stroke by as much as a third (ischemic and hemorrhagic
stroke}{Published in July 2000 in JAMA - five year study of 4,736
older men and women - HealthCentral.com}High blood pressure raises
the risk for stroke and heart disease. One recent study linked it to
Alzheimer’s, too.{“Simple Ways to Curb Memory Loss and Preserve
Brain power,” Bottom Line Health newsletter, April 2001}Younger men
should be just as concerned about high blood pressure as middle-aged
and older men because it puts them at significant risk of dying from
cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes later in
life, says a study from
Northwestern University Medical School study in the Archives of
Internal Medicine.
Kidney Disease - High blood
pressure is a serious medical problem, but unchecked high blood
pressure may also put you in danger of developing kidney
disease.{Healthology Kidney Health Focus, Jai Radhakrishnan, MD, and
Leonard Stern, MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and
Surgeons}High blood pressure can lead to heart or kidney disease and
is the biggest risk factor for stroke. Some patients can prevent or
control high blood pressure by changes in diet or habits , by losing
weight, and by restricting sodium and alcohol. {“Controlling High
Blood Pressure,” March 28, 1995 Washington Post Health}“Getting
blood pressure down could reduce headaches.” {HealthCentral.com -
June 20, 2000}
Vision - High blood pressure is
linked to vision loss due to age-related macular
degeneration(AMD}{“High Blood
Pressure Linked to Vision Loss,” Tufts University Health &
Nutrition Letter, and June 2000 in “Taste for Life” magazine, Nov.
2000}Because of the relationship between vascular and retinal
health, it is not surprising that high blood pressure might threaten
vision. Increased blood pressure can cause small blood vessels to
burst and bleed into the retina. Studies have shown that high blood
pressure in people with diabetes increases the risk of diabetic
retinopathy, diseased retinas in people with diabetes.{"What You Can
Do to Protect Your Eyes," Harvard Health Letter, October 2001} Author's
comment: Since alcohol use is a risk for high blood pressure, then
alcohol consumption is also a risk for diabetic retinopathy for
those who have diabetes.
Impotence - Hypertension increases
the risk and severity of impotence. {Journal of Urology, Oct. 2000,
in Washington Post Health, October 10, 2000}Prevention and Control
of High Blood Pressure There is now evidence to suggest that diet,
physical activity and alcohol consumption are the three major
environmental influences on blood pressure levels.{Journal of
Hypertension, in the book "Overcoming Hypertension," by Lawrence
Beilin)
High blood pressure can be triggered by alcohol consumption.
Evidence that people who completely abstain from alcohol consumption
have a lower risk of heart disease. {“Family Guide to Stroke,”
American Heart Association, 1994} Reduce alcohol. Lowering
alcohol consumption can be just as beneficial as pharmaceutical
drugs in some cases of high blood pressure. Lifestyle changes can
even prevent high blood pressure, says Lawrence Appel, investigator
of a study at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in
Baltimore.{Let’s Live magazine, May 1997 and Nov. 19, 1996,
Washington Post Health}The following things can replace
pharmaceutical drugs in treating some cases of high blood pressure,
or prevent it from developing; a daily diet rich in fruits and
vegetables, weight loss, increased exercise, reduced salt and
alcohol.{Washington Post Health, 1997, "Diet Lowers Blood Pressure"}
The control of blood pressure is done primarily through diet,
including avoiding alcohol. {Alan Gaby, MD, Professor of Therapeutic
Nutrition and a member of the clinical staff at Bastyr University,
past president of the American Holistic Medical Association, and the
author of many health books - on Ronald Hoffman, MD, "Health Talk,"
WINA radio, Aug. 27, 2001}
Triglycerides - Alcohol can raise blood pressure
and the level of triglycerides in the blood.{“Living Well, Staying Well,” 1996 book by
the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. A
study reported that wine consumption in patients who had experienced
a heart attack resulted in not only higher HDL levels, but also
higher LDL and triglyceride levels. High blood levels of
triglycerides often go hand in hand with low levels of “good” HDL
cholesterol, and in a number of cases, high “bad” LDL cholesterol.
The lifestyle steps necessary for improving the levels of these
various substances in the blood often overlap, but not always.
Alcohol reduces the amount of the enzyme that breaks down
triglycerides.{Steven Inkles, MD, assistant clinical professor of
medicine at UCLA Medical School and physician at Pritikin Longevity
Center} Alcohol spurs the liver to make more triglycerides, and even
light drinking (two ounces of wine a week) can raise
triglycerides.{Diabetes Organization, Feb. 2000, and Tufts
University Health & Nutrition Letter, July 1997}If your
triglycerides are high, eliminate wine/alcohol. Alcohol is the most
potent substance for raising plasma triglycerides, and those who
have high triglycerides are prone to diabetes over time - over the
next few years. In addition, the alcohol will potentiate the
toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications much more than the
drugs would do alone. Actually the major problem with the statins
and liver problems are because of the use of alcohol. Blood
triglycerides are a marker for heart disease, and likely an
independent risk factor as well. People with high triglyceride
levels or Syndrome X should severely limit their consumption of
alcohol, or abstain from it altogether. Even a small amount can have
a dramatic effect on triglyceride levels.{Harvard Health Letter,
webpoint.com - Sec. 2001} Triglycerides are only accurately measured
after an 8 to 12 hour fast. High triglycerides and low levels of HDL
(good cholesterol) that usually co-exist are important risk factors
for the main type of stroke (called the ischemic stroke) among
patients with heart disease.{from 'Circulation,' on mercola.com and
Dr. Mercola's comments, Dec. 2001} Alcohol, even more than sugar,
may increase blood triglycerides. Alcohol is high in calories and
low in nutrients: avoid alcohol.{College of Family and Consumer
Sciences, Holly Alley, MS, RD, LD - nutrition specialist, Dept. of
Food and Nutrition. Dec. 2001} If you do not require insulin, or are
not diabetic, you may be able to manage your elevated triglycerides
by avoiding alcohol. Alcohol also poisons the
liver.{nutrition.cornell.edu - Dec. 2001} A study in 'Circulation'
suggests that levels of triglycerides in the blood may predict heart
attack risk, as well as other more well-known blood fats such as LDL
and HDL cholesterol. High triglycerides alone increase the risk of
heart attack nearly three-fold, according to this report. The ratio
of triglycerides to HDL was the strongest predictor of a heart
attack, even more accurate than the LDL/HDL ratio reported the
Harvard lead study.{"Triglycerides May Predict Heart Risk," Dr.
Mercola on mercola.com - Aug. 29, 2001} Author's comment: Even light
drinking, two to three times per week, can elevate triglycerides.
Alcohol is the most potent substance for raising plasma
triglycerides, and those who have high triglycerides are prone to
diabetes over the next several years. If you have a triglyceride
disorder you will harm yourself if you drink alcohol, even in small
quantities. In addition, alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of
cholesterol-lowering medications; actually this is a major problem
with the statins.{Dr. Robert Rosenson, director of preventive
cardiology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago,
People’s Pharmacy, Public Radio, Show #284, Oct. 1999} A high
triglyceride level is anything over 2.0 mmol/l. Alcohol intake can
contribute to high triglycerides, which may increase the risk of
coronary disease and stroke.{‘Frequently asked questions,”
www.bhf.org.uk - September 2002} Because alcohol can increase
triglycerides, reduce or eliminate alcohol if you have high
triglyceride levels. {“Should You Drink Wine?” Dr. Weil’s Self
Healing newsletter, December 2002} LDL (bad) cholesterol rose even
when the amount of alcohol consumption was fairly small.{Prevention,
Nov. 1987} Alcohol taxes the liver and reduces the ability to
detoxify blood, causing more harm to blood vessels. If the liver is
busy processing alcohol, it is less able to process
cholesterol.{JAMA, 1985 study in Nutrition Science News, March 1999}
Hypertension - Drinking significantly increases
the risk of hypertension, according to the results of a recent U.S.
study. Those who consumed alcohol daily had the highest level of
hypertension at 39%.{Research presented at the U.S. Society for
Epidemiology on June 13, 2001, "Time of alcohol consumption affects blood
pressure," www.health-news.co - June 2001}Casual drinking can put
extra stress on the body, countering the claims that moderate
alcohol consumption can be healthy. Researchers at Penn State
University said that drinking small amounts of alcohol before work
or exercise makes the body work harder to perform. "Practically
speaking, after drinking, it takes more energy to do the same job,"
said researcher Dr. Mary E. Nicholson. People with high blood
pressure and cardiovascular problems may be particularly at
risk.{"Healthy Drinking Debunked," Join ogether;HN3078@handsnet.org
- May 2001}Blood pressure drugs may reduce the numbers but you still
have high blood pressure, and drugs do nothing to eliminate the
cause of the problem. In addition to losing weight and exercising,
eliminate smoking and alcohol use.
Bleeding - Research from Louisiana
State University Health Sciences Center, says that
alcohol impairs the body’s ability
to maintain normal blood pressure even after minor bleeding. When
you suffer even a small amount of bleeding, the brain takes action
to restore normal blood pressure. It does this by releasing
chemicals, including adrenaline, into your circulatory system, but
alcohol seems to blunt that response. {“Booze Throws Blood Pressure
for a Loop,” healthscout.com - October 2002}Alcohol impairs the
body’s ability to tighten the blood vessels, a natural process that
maintains blood pressure when a person moves from a sitting to
standing position. This study demonstrated that alcohol consumption
in social drinkers causes low blood pressure upon standing because
of impaired constriction of blood vessels, said the lead author,
Krzysztof Narkiewicz, MD, PhD, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
He conducted the study as a National Institutes of Health fellow at
the University of Iowa College of Medicine.{"Scientific Explanation
Found For Link Between Fainting And Drinking Alcohol," American
Heart Association Feb. 2000 in sciencedaily.com - Oct. 2002}
Immune System/Colds and Flus - An
alcoholic drink, which must be detoxified by the body, makes extra
demands on the immune system, which causes drinkers to be more
susceptible to and thus increase the number of common illnesses such
as colds, flus and coughs. {in the book, “Beyond Antibiotics,” by
Michael Schmidt, 1994} Author's comment: A couple of
drinks can affect the immune system for up to four days, according
to Jean Kinney, in her book, “Understanding Alcohol,” 1992 What
Prevents or Reduces the Effects of a Cold It is extremely helpful if
you are able to either prevent or greatly reduce the effects of a
cold. The approach to fighting colds is twofold. First strengthen
your resistance to infection so you won’t come down with a cold, and
then follow a course of action to lessen its length and severity.
For prevention, eat a wholesome diet, take a good daily vitamin,
exercise regularly, control stress, and get enough rest. If you have
a cold, eat smaller, lighter meals, which contain immune-boosting
phytochemicals, and little or no meat, so that the body can put more
energy to fighting off the virus. Drink lots of water, as it will
help ease a dry throat, improve your blowing possibilities, and will
encourage washing out the sinuses. Medical advice warns to
avoid alcohol when you have a cold because it swells the bronchial
tissues and makes congestion worse. Alcohol is a diuretic, resulting
in increased urine output which can dehydrate the body and make the
mucus dry and thick. This diuretic effect may result in blockages to
the openings of the sinus cavities, and when air is trapped with an
obstructed sinus, along with pus and other secretions, it can cause
pressure and intense pain. Alcohol interferes with the body’s
temperature control mechanism, stealing crucial warmth from the
internal organs while dilating peripheral blood vessels. The use of
alcohol increases the body’s stress, and has been shown to decrease
antibody production resulting in a weakened immune system. This
winter, making healthier choices can help you prevent or lessen the
symptoms of a cold.{Sources: Alternative-medicine-and-health.com -
October 2002; wholehealthmd.com - October 2002;
familydoctor.org - October 2002;
seniorhealth.about.com - October 2002;
sciencenews.org - October 2002; Alcohol,
Health & Research World (Division of Infectious Diseases
1992);
Sinus Survival, book by Robert Ivker, D.O., 1995}
Diabetes - The American Diabetes
Association tells us that alcohol is a toxin and that the diabetic’s
body reacts to alcohol like a poison. Although one in every 18
Americans has diabetes, half of them are unaware they have it, and
all diabetics, 14 million Americans, are at substantial risk when
using any alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to the nerves as well and can
make some diabetic problems worse. Alcohol affects how the liver
clears fat from the blood and even two- to four-ounce glasses of
wine a week can raise triglycerides. Alcohol spurs the liver on to
make more triglycerides, which is already a problem for many
diabetics.In addition to the risks of hypoglycemia, nerve damage and
diabetic eye disease, alcohol is high in calories and low in
nutrition, factors that are contrary to dietary recommendations.
Role of Alcohol in Suicide
---Every year in the U.S. there are over 30,000 deaths from suicide.
The use of alcohol may increase the risk of suicide by deepening
depression, negatively affecting the ability to make decisions under
stress, and interfering with the treatment of mental illness. ‘Don't
drink and drive’ is not enough. Far better is ‘don't drink.’{Dr.
David Hemenway, MD, researcher from Harvard School of Public Health
in Boston. September, 1999 issue of the American Journal of Public
Health}If you're depressed, don't drink. Even non-problem drinkers
had an elevated risk of suicide in a Harvard Medical School study
published in the Journal of Epidemiology. The study also found that
the odds of attempting suicide are almost two times greater if you
drink than if you are a teetotaler, even if you don't drink to
excess. Alcohol relaxes inhibitions and makes it easier for thoughts
to become actions. Alcohol is a depressant. Even relatively casual
drinking or drug-taking is dangerous for people who are thinking of
killing themselves. The problem is that people who are depressed or
suicidal are often among those most likely to turn to alcohol or
drugs, says Ronald C. Kessler, co-author of the study. {"Alcohol
fuels suicidal tendencies," WOR Health Center, Oct. 2002}---
Relationship of Dietary Fats in Suicide Rates ---A study of suicide
rates in Europe found that countries with the highest per capita fat
intakes also had the highest suicide rates. The majority of
research, however, shows that essential fatty acids help to
alleviate depression and boost moods.{Natural Medicine Chest,
Conquer Depression without Drugs, "Food and Mood," Let's Live
magazine, Jan. 2000} Author's comment: Essential fatty acids are a
different class of fats and they are the ones that help restore
balance in the body.
Alcohol and Cortisol - Hormones
are chemical messengers that control and coordinate the functions of
all tissues and organs. Each hormone is secreted from a particular
gland and is distributed throughout the body to act on tissues at
different sites. Two areas of the brain, the hypothalamus and the
pituitary, release hormones as do glands in other parts of the body,
for example, the thyroid, thyroid glands, gonads, pancreas, and
parathyroid. In order for hormones to function properly, the amount
and timing of their release must be finely coordinated, and the
target tissues must be able to respond to them accurately. Alcohol
can impair the functions of the hormone-releasing glands and of
their target tissues, thereby causing serious medical
consequences.{“Alcohol and Hormones,” Alcohol Alert from NIAAA,
about.com - Jul. 2000}Beer and liquor tend to raise levels of
cortisol.{Prevention magazine, Dec. 1999} Alcohol encourages
cortisol surges and hormone imbalances.{"Keeping your Adrenals
Healthy," Healing Foods and Movements, Catherine Fahey,
letsliveonline.com, Apr. 2003}Cheating on sleep for only a few
nights increases brain levels of cortisol, a potentially harmful
stress hormone, and high levels of cortisol can damage brain cells
in areas of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Adequate
exercise and regular sleeping hours facilitate sleep, while
caffeine, alcohol and stimulant drugs impair sleep and raise
cortisol levels.{"Wake Up To the Need For Sleep," San Francisco
Examiner, June 7, 1998, excerpted from Spectrum magazine, on
GaryNull.com - Apr. 2003}The Importance of Cortisol. Chronic
stress causes an over-production of a hormone called cortisol, which
has a profound negative effect on the brain. It contributes to the
death of brain cells, interferes with the functioning of
neurotransmitters, and starves the brain of its only source of fuel,
glucose.{“Physical Fitness for Your Brain,” New Age Journal, 1997-
1998 Special Edition}The adrenals secrete the body’s four main
stress hormones: adrenaline, norepinephrine, DHEA and cortisol.
These hormones are secreted cyclically, with the highest levels
dispatched in the morning and the lowest levels at night. Any
disruption in the amount of adrenal output can cause serious health
problems. Cortisol, the body’s principal anti-inflammatory hormone,
rises during periods of stress, as we grow older, and during periods
of chronic pain. Some of the deleterious effects of cortisol
imbalance on health are low energy, muscle atrophy, poor bone repair
and increased bone loss, thyroid dysfunction, depressed immune
system, poor sleep quality, poor skin regeneration and impaired
growth hormone release. Studies show that prolonged depression or
stress leads to elevated levels of cortisol, a ‘stress’ hormone
produced by the adrenal glands. This in turn appears to shrink or
atrophy the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with many
kinds of memory and learning. This process is particularly damaging
in the elderly {Reviews in the Neurosciences}, but there is no
strong evidence that the hippocampus shrinks as a part of normal
aging. Studies show that all people with Alzheimer’s disease have
damage to the hippocampus, but their cortisol production
varies.{“Fact or Fiction? All Memory Loss is Age-related,” Vitamin
Research Products, June 2000}Cortisol is a natural steroid that
raises blood sugar levels and suppresses inflammation, but it also
suppresses the immune system.{"Treating Adrenal Exhaustion,"
yogajournal.com - May 2003}Cortisol, the hormone produced by your
body in times of high stress, can interfere with your ability to
remember words, phone numbers and other
details.{"Mental Fitness,"
seniorhealth.about.com - Jan. 2003}To reverse the consequences of
aging you need to reduce the hormones such as insulin, cortisol and
eicosanoids and there is no magic pill to reduce these hormones,
only a consistent dietary program on a lifetime basis. {Dr. Barry
Sears, author of the "Zone Diet," Dr. Sears, June E-magazine, June
16, 2003}
Alcohol
and Alzheimer’s Disease - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative
brain disorder characterized by a progressive loss of memory and
other detrimental cognitive changes as well as lowered life
expectancy (Morris 1999). It is the leading cause of dementia in the
United States. Alcohol consumption is one
possible risk factor for AD. Alcoholism is associated with extensive
cognitive problems (Evert and Oscar-Berman 1995), including
alcoholic dementia (Smith and Atkinson 1997). Because alcohol's
effects on cognition, brain disorders, and brain chemistry share
some features with AD's effects on these three areas, it is
plausible that alcohol use increases the risk of developing AD (Tyas
1996).
Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome - You may be shocked to learn that alcohol use by
pregnant women is one of the leading causes of mental retardation in
the western hemisphere. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) results from
the toxic effect of alcohol and its byproducts on the unborn child's
developing brain. The seriousness of FAS depends on the pattern and
extent of alcohol exposure in the womb. Some common features of FAS
include growth deficiencies in both prenatal and postnatal periods,
such as: Facial defects (small head, small eyes, flattened
cheekbones, pug nose); Central nervous system defects (attention
problems, seizures, learning disabilities, hearing problems).
Although doctors aren't sure of how much alcohol is a danger to a
fetus, research shows there is no known safe level of alcohol
consumption during pregnancy. The only proven technique for avoiding
FAS and related birth problems is abstinence.
Drinking
by Men or Women Affects Miscarriage Risk - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are
thinking about becoming pregnant are usually advised to stay away
from alcoholic beverages. Now, new research suggests that their
partners should do the same. In a Danish study, alcohol drinking by
men or women during the conception period increased the likelihood
of a miscarriage. Studies in animals have suggested that high doses
of alcohol given to males and females around the time of conception
or early in the pregnancy increase fetal death, but the association
has been less clear in humans. Dr. Tine Brink Henriksen, of Aarhus
University Hospital in Denmark and colleagues followed 430 couples
who were attempting a first-time pregnancy. The study participants
were all 20 to 35 years old. A total of 186 pregnancies occurred
during the study period, of which 55 ended in spontaneous abortion
and 131 resulted in childbirth, the investigators report in the
American Journal of Epidemiology. Women who reported consuming 10 or
more drinks per week at the time of conception were nearly three
times more likely to experience a miscarriage than those who had not
consumed any wine, spirits, or beer at the time of conception. When
men consumed 10 or more weekly drinks at the time of conception,
their partners' risk of spontaneous abortion was up to five times
greater than it was for women whose male partners did not drink, the
report indicates. The reason for the association between drinking
among males and spontaneous abortion is not fully understood.
However, studies have shown that alcohol consumption is associated
with chromosomal abnormalities in sperm cells, and many aborted
fetuses are known to have chromosomal abnormalities. What's more,
the concentration of alcohol in semen -- where its presence can be
detected relatively quickly after it is ingested -- is similar to
its concentration in the blood, the researchers note. "In
conclusion, we found that both male and female alcohol intakes
during the week of conception increased the risk of spontaneous
abortion," Henriksen and colleagues write.
Skin
Cancer - studies have shown that if you average two days a week,
your chance of developing skin cancer is 2 1/2 times greater than
people who don't drink. Alcohol prematurely ages the skin because it
dehydrates, robbing precious moisture. Alcohol impedes circulation
so oxygen and vital nutrients are restricted in their ability to
reach the skin. Alcohol consumption can lead to broken or distended
capillaries, especially over the nose and cheeks. For good health
and the sake of a beautiful complexion, alcohol consumption should
be eliminated. {Energy Times, March/April
1995}
HIV-
Drinking may increase vulnerability to HIV infection. Studies show
that even occasional alcohol consumption impairs the response of
white blood cells when exposed to the virus; Among persons already
infected with HIV, alcohol consumption may accelerate the effects of
AIDS-related illnesses. Again, because of the impairment of white
blood cells, AIDS-related illnesses develop more easily.
Osteoporosis - Studies indicate that risk factors
of developing osteoporosis includes alcohol consumption, cigarette
smoking, and physical inactivity, and these are much more important
factors than calcium deficiency. Osteoporosis affects over 28
million Americans, 80 percent of whom are women. (“Osteoporosis
Affects More People Than You Think,” laurushealth.com - May 2001)
Alcohol consumption increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone
fractures. (American Medical Association, 1994) Alcohol detracts
from bone mass.(“Why Milk Matters for Children and Teens,” Building
Strong Bones, stopgettingsick.com, May 2001) Alcohol is a
contributing factor for bone disease. (Effects of Alcohol on
Osteoporosis: ‘Milk - The Deadly Poison’ by Robert Cohen) The person
who drinks alcohol (among other risks, like smoking) is most likely
to suffer from osteoporosis. (drmirkin.com - Aug. 2001. Taken from
the American Journal of Medicine, May 1995) Alcohol disrupts calcium
balance in many ways. Alcohol exposure increases parathyroid hormone
(which can put a strain on the body’s calcium reserve), increases
magnesium excretion (which can further negatively impact bone
health), and can inhibit the production of enzymes found in the
liver and kidney that convert the inactive form of vitamin D to its
active form. Excessive levels of cortisol have been linked to
decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption, and alcohol
exposure can stimulate osteoclasts (cells responsible for the
resorption or breakdown of bone). Alcoholic consumption is linked to
different types of fractures, including those of the wrist and ribs.
The most effective treatment for alcohol-induced bone changes is
abstinence. (NIH, Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases, July 2000)
Author’s comment: Overproduction of cortisol is caused by alcohol
use as well as stress. Alcohol is toxic to the bone marrow cells.
(in the book “Total Nutrition,” Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Victor
Herbert, M.D., 1995)In a study of 84,000 women, consumption of
alcohol was associated with an increased risk of both hip fractures
and forearm fractures, also a negative influence on bone strength,
Women are more vulnerable than men because they have a smaller bones
than men, therefore less bone mass to lose before they reach a
critical level of bone strength. Alcohol leeches calcium from bone,
reducing bone strength. (Carol Popkin, Program Manager of Highway
Safety Research Center at Univ. of N.C., in her presentation of
“Healthy People/Healthy Environments. In Prevention File - Special
Edition 1992. Publication of the Univ. of Calf. at San Diego.
“Alcohol and Other Drugs.” Cigarette smoking and alcohol use raise
the risk of developing osteoporosis. Bone loss is a silent condition
and young people may not realize they have lost bone density until
they fracture something. Those who max out their bone capacity while
young build up a reservoir of strength that they can draw upon as
they age. (HealthCentral.com - “The Silent Enemy of your Bones.”
June 6, 2000) 25 million Americans have been diagnosed with
osteoporosis, and it is estimated that 9 out of 10 Americans have
bone densities that are less than optimal. (Osteoporosis,
Vitalcast.Com - Feb. 2000) Men are more likely to suffer a hip
fracture from osteoporosis than to develop prostate cancer. Two
million American men have osteoporosis, and an estimated 3 million
more are at risk - and men are more likely to be permanently
disabled and even die after an osteoporotic hip fracture than are
women. (Anne Alexander, Editor-in-Chief, “From the Editor,”
Prevention, July 2000) According to the Osteoporosis Foundation, one
in two women and one in five men will fracture a bone weakened by
osteoporosis during their lifetimes. Over 50,000 Americans - mostly
women - die each year from complications with osteoporosis-caused
fractures (e.g. blood clots, pneumonia). The numbers are expected to
skyrocket with today’s aging population. Osteoporotic fractures can
occur from simple routine actions such as changing a bed sheet or
sitting on the toilet. ( Osteoporosis called “Silent Killer,”
Compassion Net Connection Lane Labs - Winter 2000) Cutting out
alcohol can significantly reduce the risk of a fracture.
Osteoporosis affects an estimated 28 million Americans, 80% are
women. An estimated 20% of elderly people who break a hip die within
a year of the fracture. (“Use of osteoporosis diagnostic test on the
rise,” Daily Progress, March 22, 1999) Avoid
the “bone robbers” which includes alcohol. (Nutrition Advisor, “Can
Calcium Prevent Osteoporosis?” Delicious! magazine, Jan. 1998)
Research has linked both smoking and alcohol consumption with
increased risk of osteoporosis. (“Help for a Crippling Disease,”
Reader’s Digest, Aug., 1998) Alcohol may be as bad for the bones as
it is for the liver. Even small amounts of alcohol increase calcium
loss and adversely affects Vitamin. D metabolism (Reader’s Digest,
“Osteoporosis,” Nov. 1985) Alcohol limits the stomach’s production
of hydrochloric acid which is necessary for the absorption of
calcium and other nutrients. It also interferes with the absorption
of magnesium and contributes to its removal from the body. When
magnesium is lost in the urine, it takes calcium with it. (Women’s
Health Connection, “Boning Up on Osteoporosis.” July 1997) Calcium
absorption and metabolism for the purpose of building bone is
virtually impossible without the correct form of calcium, plus
proper balances of several other vital nutrients that work hand in
hand with calcium. (Bio/Tech News, Fall 1999) In a study of 84,000
women, moderate consumption of alcohol was associated with an
increased risk of both There are 30,000 deaths in a year in the U.S.
from 1.3 million fractures from thinning bones (osteoporosis).
(Newsweek, June 26, 1995) . Alcohol also has a negative effect on
the absorption of calcium and other needed nutrients that work
together with calcium to prevent osteoporosis. As a living tissue,
bone is susceptible to the adverse effects of alcohol consumption.
While drinking during adolescence increases the risk of bone disease
in later life, adult drinking weakens the skeleton by intefering
with the remodeling of bone that continues throughout life. Alcohol
appears to weaken bone largely by inhibiting the function of
specialized cells that deposit new layers of bone during remodeling.
("Alcohol's Harmful Effects On Bone," NIAAA 1998) Alcohol creates a
negative calcium balance in the body. ("The Truth about
Osteoporosis," John Lee, M.D., March 2002 - www.johnleemd.com)
Because it decreases levels of calcium and vitamin D in the body,
alcohol use can reduce bone mass. ("Osteoporosis," Women's Health
Letter, Nan Katherine Fuchs, PhD, Feb. 2001) Alcohol should be
reduced or eliminated, says Janet Zand, L.Ac, O.M.D., in an article
on "Healthy Bones." (HealthWorld Online Feb. 2002) Alcohol use
depresses bone formation. ("Taking a Look at Women's Health,"
Nutrition News, 1997).
Falls and other
injuries - Every year, more than 140,000 Americans die from
injuries, and almost one person in three suffers a non-fatal injury
serious enough to require medical attention or cause temporary
disability. Research indicates that alcohol is
associated with: Up to 64% of fires and burns, 48% of hypothermia
and frostbite cases, approximately 20% of completed suicides and 60%
of boating fatalities. Also 40%
or more of falls and almost 50% of homicides (victim or perpetrator)
are caused by alcohol. In addition, studies show that between 20-37%
of all emergency room trauma cases involved alcohol use, and that
between 20-25% of all persons hospitalized with an injury can be
identified as using alcohol at the time of their injury. Alcohol
increases their risk of accident in two ways: greater likelihood of
injury and greater seriousness of injury. First, an alcohol user is
more likely to be involved in a trauma event than a sober person; in
other words, drinkers have a higher risk for accidents than
non-drinkers. Second, there's a greater chance that a drinker will
be hurt more seriously than a non-drinker. Most research findings
indicate a relationship between alcohol use and severity of injury.
(This goes against the common belief that drunk persons are less
likely to be seriously hurt in an accident because they are
"relaxed.") Some other trauma statistics show that alcohol is
associated with: 70% of attempted suicides, 47-65% of adult
drownings, and 59% of fatal falls are contributed to alcohol use.
Among drinkers, the risk of accidental death is estimated at 2.5 to
8 times greater than among the general population. Further, drinkers
are nearly 5 times more likely to die in motor vehicle crashes, 10
times more likely to be fire or burn
victims.
Effect of Alcohol on Lungs Alcohol
makes the lung liable to injury and infection by producing a
decrease in alveolar epithelial levels of glutathione, an
antioxidant, as well as inhibiting the cytokine and chemokine
response to bacterial infection. Of all alcoholic drinks, wine was
the most frequent cause of asthmatic reactions (37.7%). {"Lungs,"
AlcoholResearch.Isumc.edu, Aug. 2002}
Alcohol could reduce a
person's defense against the pneumonia-causing organism, and smoking
may exacerbate this effect. The trachea leads from the nasopharynx
to the lungs is lined with cilia calls, which normally sweep mucus
and harmful microorganisms upward to prevent their movement into the
lungs. This does not occur in the presence of alcohol and/or
tobacco. {Alcohol and Clinical Experimental Research, 2005, as
cited in "Alcohol increases pneumonia risk," Nutrition Hints #1834,
e-mail from Betty Kamen, PhD (a leading authority on alternative
health) and Michael Rosenbaum, MD, May 2005}
Wine and
Lungs The headlines reported: "Drinking wine, particularly white
wine, may help keep lungs healthy, University at Buffalo study
finds." Holger Schunemann, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
and Social and Preventive Medicine at the UB School of Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences, reported that drinking wine, particularly white
wine, recently and over a lifetime was associated with better lung
function. However, he also stated that the researchers, including
himself, attributed the better lung health and function to the
antioxidants in the wine, the flavonoids and phenols. He also noted
that evidence suggests that alcohol may increase the oxidative
burden. {"Alcohol - Lungs," University at Buffalo,
www.buffalo.edu, organtx.org, May 2002} Editor's comment: This
oxidative stress plays an important role in the chronic
complications of insulin-dependent diabetes, which can lead to an
increase in oxygen-derived free-radicals (according to the Journal
of Diabetes Complications, 2002). While emphasizing the positive
effects of alcohol on the lungs (although the researchers attributed
the effects to the antioxidants) the media reports failed to include
the problem of the wine increasing the oxidative burden . . . .
which then increases free-radicals and complications of
diabetes. {Betty Kamen and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD, "Nutrition
Hints," Aug. 2002, Hint #943}
Alcohol makes the lung liable
to injury and infection by producing a decrease in alveolar
epithelial levels of glutathione, which is an antioxidant, as well
as inhibiting the response to bacterial infection. In a recent study
by Australian researchers of asthmatics, 42 percent had reactions to
alcoholic drinks, wine being the most frequent cause. Asthmatic
reactions generally appeared quickly and were of moderate intensity.
Drinking alcohol dramatically boosts the risk of common gene
mutation in smokers developing lung cancer. {Alcohol Research
Center, alcoholresearch.itsumc.edu, Aug. 2002}
Effect of the
Metabisulfite Preservative When wine reaches the stomach, the
preservative metabisulfite is degraded in the stomach, resulting in
the product sulfur dioxide. This sulfur dioxide gas is passed back
through the esophagus and is inhaled into the lungs, which can cause
an asthma episode. Also since wine is fermented, a person with a
mold sensitivity could have a worsening of symptoms from drinking
wine (or beer).
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