Christmas Cheer
Christmas time is fast approaching, and it is when a number of us tend to over indulge in good food and drink (well I do - a little). On the subject of alcohol, below is an extract from the health matters page of an old copy (2007) of a local Paper.
- Men can drink up to four units of alcohol per day, and women three units without a significant risk to their health.
- A glass of beer a day is one of the best ways to ensure strong and healthy bones because it is rich in the mineral silicon.
- A daily pint of Guinness with a meal is said to reduce heart clots and the risk of cardiac attacks.
- A glass of Red wine may help you sleep better but will give you a worse hangover than White wine.
- White wine drunk in moderation may help keep the lungs healthy, but does make the stomach secrete more acid than normal, irritating the lining and inflaming the digestive tract, which can lead to nausea.
- Champagne has no health benefits, but some disadvantages because the bubbles help the alcohol to more quickly enter the blood.
- Sherry may have similar health benefits to Red wine, but contains high levels of hangover-causing congeners.
- Brandy also can cause severe hangovers, but in moderation can boost health, the better quality brandies giving better benefit. A regular dose of Armagnac apparently can stave off heart attacks and thrombosis.
- Whisky in small doses can help to protect from heart disease and reduce the risk of strokes and cataracts, but a single "Malt" although thought to help fight cancer can give you a worse hangover.
- Gin may increase the urge to urinate, but it is preservative free and free of the chemicals that can induce a hangover.
- Vodka is the purest of all alcohols, and the least likely to cause a hangover.
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