Moderate Drinking Tied to Lower Stroke Risk
Moderate Drinking Tied to Lower Stroke Risk
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/well/live/moderate-drinking-tied-to-lower-stroke-risk.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health®ion=stream&module=str&_r=0
Ischemic strokes are caused by
blockage of an artery supplying blood to the brain. This type of stroke is
responsible for about 87% of all strokes. This risk can be reduced by have one
or two alcoholic drinks per day. However, the risk can increase for a person
who has more than this amount. Having up to four drinks daily can increase the
risk by 8 percent and having more than this can increase the risk by 14
percent. The researcher in this article suggests that those who do not drink
alcohol should start drinking moderately at one or two drinks per day as a
health precaution.
The positive effects of alcohol are
very interesting. We often hear that alcohol is bad for us and we should
abstain from drinking anything at all. However, this research makes this
recommendation that anyone should be able to have one or two drinks per day to
reduce the risk of seizures, but it does not mention that different people have
different genetic make-ups and different lifestyles that will also contribute
to how much alcohol they should drink and how that alcohol will affect their
health in the future. This article is a good indicator that instead of telling
children that they should not drink and explaining all of the negative side
effects of drinking, we should teach them about alcohol holistically. For
example, teach the true health benefits of wine and that it is acceptable, and
even possibly beneficial, for a person to drink in moderation.
I agree with the point that you bring up about looking at the impacts of alcohol holistically because there are many positive effects that people do not realize. I find it interesting that there are very specific numbers as to the amount of alcohol a person can consume before their risk becomes greater. I would like to see the results if they ever do research on a wide range of individuals including age, gender, ethnicity and see how that would change the number of drinks a person can consume that would still be considered beneficial. I think it would also be interesting to see what research says about specific alcoholic drinks. I have heard that red wine can be healthier than most alcohol and it can have a positive impact on your heart, however I would like to see what the positives would be about having a shot of tequila or a rum and coke and if they have the same impacts as other drinks. I really enjoyed reading this article because drinking and alcohol are so prevalent in college and society, it is nice to see that there are some benefits to it rather than looking at the negatives all the time. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the positive effects drugs like alcohol being discussed. Normally all you hear about are the negative effects. Maybe for good reason. The author of the meta analysis does not recommend nondrinkers to begin drinking but that those who do drink one or two drinks a day should not increase their consumption. I personally don't drink because I have lost family to poor life decisions. After reading through this article I don't I will pick it up.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting topic to address because there has been so much information about positives and negatives of alcohol consumption. I agree with the question you posed about further research into how alcohol impacts individuals differently given their genetic makeup and family history. Because they are not recommending to begin drinking that leaves me wondering if said benefits are important enough to research because I would imagine if they were significant enough then researchers would be suggesting that people begin to drink a certain amount daily.
ReplyDeleteI find your commentary to be completely relatable and an interesting take on the way people view alcohol. I also agree that adult should educate their children on the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption and possibly refer to the original article for a deeper understanding. This article was incredibly interesting and offers a different perspective on a typically negatively labeled substance. I have heard previously that red wine, specifically, has a positive impact on overall health, when moderately consumed, and it is affirming to see an article that provides evidence on a positive side effect of drinking wine.
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting because you are right. We are so used to hearing that alcohol is really bad for us. We just normally hear one glass of red wine a day is good for the heart, but that is it. Children do need to be educated on what alcohol really does to the body. Not just the negative effects, but the good as well. Now of course this does not condone for binge drinking. It does need to show the different genetic make ups and how alcohol affects everyone differently because of genetics and physicality.
ReplyDelete