Alcohol as a Key Ingredient to a Healthy Diet
Dr. John Rumberger

Evidence suggesting that alcohol is “cardio-protective” first appeared in the literature about 30 years ago. The Framingham Heart Study [the longest running population study of heart disease which began in 1948] provided the first solid evidence of this association. The relationship has now been confirmed by dozens of large population [“epidemiological”] studies. However, physicians have been reluctant to recommend alcohol consumption to patients because of the well-known health consequences of excessive drinking [hypertension, liver disease, increased rates of cancer, violent or accidental death] and the horrors that are associated with “drinking and driving”.
Moderation is the key. Many large studies have found that men and women who consume light to moderate amounts of alcohol per day live longer than those who abstain completely. The Physicians’ Health Study involved long term follow-up of 89,300 men. The study found that men who drank five or six alcoholic drinks per week had a 20% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who drank no alcohol. On the other hand, the same study showed that men who had more than two alcoholic drinks per day had a higher risk of death than nondrinkers. That means that, when drinking moderately, it appears to be quite beneficial; however, higher alcohol intake increases the risks of cancer and motor vehicle accidents so much as to overwhelm any cardiovascular benefits.
How does alcohol protect the heart? A large portion of the benefit may be attributable to increased levels of HDL [“good] cholesterol. Alcohol also has “antiplatelet” effects [making these natural blood elements less sticky and then less likely to clog arteries during plaque rupture] in much the same way as aspirin.
Moderate alcohol consumption may also help improve insulin resistance, which is just about one step below true diabetes and recognized as another independent predictor for cardiac risk. The Physicians’ Health Study also showed that in subjects who consumed alcohol daily, the risk for heart disease was reduced by 60% in diabetic patients, compared to a 40% decrease in persons who did not have diabetes. Moderate alcohol intake also decreases blood values for CRP [C-reactive protein], a metabolic marker for inflammation (elevated when you are in an increased state of oxidative stress).
The jury is still out as to whether or not wine provides a better protective effect compared to other forms of alcohol. Red wine is rich in flavonoids, which slow down oxidation of LDL [“bad”] cholesterol [which is one of the last steps before it is deposited in your artery wall]. One recent study suggested that light drinkers who avoided wine reduce their risk of all-cause mortality by 10%, while light drinkers who preferred wine had more than a 30% decrease in this risk. However, other studies have found that all forms of alcohol [beer, whiskey, etc.] were equally protective.
It is important to emphasize that alcohol [of ANY kind!] should be limited to one drink daily for women and at most two drinks daily for men [this is based merely on general body size and nothing else]. One drink is defined as 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (such as whisky, gin, and vodka), 5 oz of wine, or 12 oz of beer. Patients who have liver disease, who have a personal or family history of alcohol abuse, or who cannot limit their intake in a responsible manner should NOT start! However, since “all things in moderation” is a good adage for much of life, others can enjoy a daily alcoholic drink as part of a generally healthy diet.
Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

About the Author

Dr. John Rumberger is the Author of The WAY Diet, The complete lifestyle plan to live longer, reduce stress, and lose weight the healthy way. To purchase The Way Diet simply go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=
ASIN/0974993387&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=icobweb-20&creative=9325 or go to Empty Canoe Publishing http://www.emptycanoe.com and order your copy of The Way.

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It is scientifically proven that the genes you inherit have something to do with high-rise cholesterol levels in the body. The vast majority factor is due to lifestyle, saturated fat intake and calorie, poor eating habits especially without exercise, excessive drinking (alcohol enhance rise of cholesterol), and menopausal stage in women when estrogen is on the brink to diminish, and mostly with the senior citizens group.

Lowering Cholesterol Level is definitely gird to right-on-the-spot suspension to what’s already been existing (bad LDL) that’s exposed to some tolerating factors triggering fatal risk to life in the absence of any remedial measures.

INSTANT SOLUTIONS TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

Many people have the primary notion, by merely engaging in exercise, eating the right food without saturated animal fats, lard and dairy, it could be a total solution to treat high cholesterol levels. Going thru these food lipid sources does not mean it instantly suspends the side effects to various cardiovascular diseases, and disorders in the artheroma degeneration relating to the arterial walls.

A research that would benefit a great deal to suspend the existing risk to high cholesterol level that calls for instant decrease is introduced from credibly efficient, and effective medication from reliable Medical Groups doing prescriptions of “Statins,” the CRESTOR (rosuvastatin calcium), actual medicine to put to a halt on too high bad cholesterol levels down by 52%, at a 10mg. dosage, compared to the 7 mg placebo.

Additional advantage of this statin type drug “Crestor,” it increases the HDL (good cholesterol) by 14%, versus to 3% up HDL of the placebo. Imagine, medicating to lower the LDL- bad cholesterol, and at the same instant working to increase the HDL-good cholesterol. Its indeed significant pro-life saving approach-defense to a rise in the side effects disorders, and ailments that link to bad cholesterol.

The application of the medicine could only be fully administered by your licensed physician to qualify for a prescription. Best inform your medical consultant about other things affecting your life and lifestyles, your pre-conditioned health status, and among other things; as, (1) liver, kidney problems, and woman-pregnancy, (2) excessive or non-excessive drinking, alcohol affects functions of the liver, (3) family history-line of high cholesterol cases, (4) if you’re currently with problems on diabetes, thyroid functions, and hypothyroidism, recently been heart or hypertension attack victim, (5) have any problem other than these diseases that are associated with high cholesterol (6) of Chinese or Japanese ancestry, (7) taking over the counter medicines, “antacids,” (8) also inform what prescriptions are you taking aside from all the rest.

Side effects may arise in the event you’re taking the CRESTOR, like constipation, muscle aches, abdominal pain, weakness and nausea. These are just mild symptoms and tend to go away in time.

The importance in maintaining normal cholesterol level is to get thru minimal access to fatty substances that are unsaturated. A reliable research on the effect of “olive” oil for use in our daily cooking is best introduce in reducing bad cholesterol.

On the other hand, the “coconut oil” from among several vegetable oils like sunflower, corn, soy, rapeseed, palm kernel, and cottonseed still excel as the best to be cholesterol reducing medium to bad cholesterol. This is based on a report from Dr. P. Rethinam and Mohartuyo, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community press Released and quoted from the Jakarta Post, June 18, 2003. All other things about the coconut oil are good advantage to health concerning cholesterol levels were contents in that PR issue.

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