Booze - The Elixer of Life

We've all heard this by now?

"Alcohol in all forms makes blood less likely to clot readily and it increases the amount of heart-protecting good cholesterol and reduces the amount of the artery-damaging pernicious form of cholesterol. It improves the health of the lining of the arteries. The antioxidants in alcohol have many other advantages, but once the intake rises, the benefits conferred on the arteries are obscured by the damage to a person's general health by obesity, liver disease, pancreatitis and even dementia". - Dr Thomas Stuttaford -

At which point does the good effects of drinking begin to diminish, and the bad effects begin?

• Approximately two drinks per day for a woman
• Approximately four drinks per day for a man

Which Type of Beverage is Best for Health?

• Any type (clear alcohol, pale beers) - Least Best
  
• Dark Beers and White Wines - Better
  
• Red Wines - The Very Best Choice

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Benefits of Drinking Red Wine - A Dozen Links Below

• Reduces bad cholesterol
• Increases good cholesterol
• Reduces blood clotting
  
• Protects the lining of your arteries
• Heart attack rate cut in half!
• Stroke damage reduced!
• Lung Diseases reduced!
• Neuro Degenerative Diseases Reduced!
• Protection From Effects of Obesity!
• Protection from effects of Diabetes!
• Increased muscle endurance!
  
• Prostrate cancer rate cut in half!
• Reduction in Colorectal Cancer Rate!
  

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Why Red Wine Is Superior

Alcohol plays a significant role in thinning the blood, but red wines contain very powerful antioxidants, estrogens, and several other beneficial compounds including one which acts at the cellular level to instruct cells to slow their metabolism. The substance known as resveratrol invokes a "starvation reaction" response within cells. Resveratrol has been tested on yeast, worms, fish, and rats, and has been shown in each case to extend lifespans by approximately fifty percent. Not only does the organism live longer, but ages slowly, and is healthier!
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Some Reds Are Better Than Others
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White wines appear to reduce lung diseases best, but red wines which have the highest levels of polyphenols, and appear to confer the highest health benefits. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant which play a protective role against cell damaged caused by "free radical" ionized molecules. Dark red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon may in fact be the most beneficial wine to drink of all. Polyhenols in Cabernet Sauvignon has been shown to decrease production of a protein called endothelin-1. The protein is believed to play a significant role in the formation of arterial disease.
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My Suggestion - Move From Pale Drinks to Hearty Drinks!

I have slowly moved from beers to wines in light of all the research involving the health benefits of wine. While I don't suggest that anyone start drinking if they don't already, I would suggest to those who already drink (non-alcoholics) to continue to doing so. If you drink the hard stuff, or pale brews you might want to consider shifting over to heart healthier dark beers, and red wines!

So drink up, and without the guilt we've all been led to believe we're supposed to feel about drinking. Drinking has been given a bum rap which it doesn't deserve. When it comes to moderate drinking you're not only allowing yourself the pleasures of a fine tasting beer, or glass of wine, but you're also doing it for your health.

Note: To all those tea totalers stick with green, red, and white teas, and if you're not going to join us drinking wine, and beers please at least stop with the moral superiority baloney.