Alcohol causes High Blood Pressure – Right?

There’s a lot of confusion out there about health and alcohol. Sometimes we hear things like “wine is good for your health;” other times we hear all about alcohols’ dangers. So where’s the truth?

As with so many things in life – the truth is actually somewhere in the middle. Moderate alcohol consumption actually has some clinically proven health benefits.

First, let’s define “moderate.” The current guidelines for men and women under 65 are: “No more than two drinks per day for men and one for women.” [The reason for why women are urged to drink a bit less is because women tend to produce less of an enzyme called gastric alcohol dehydrogenase that breaks down alcohol in the stomach]. Once you hit 65, the recommendation for both men and women is no more than one a day.

A “drink” is defined as:
1) A 12-ounce (355 ml) beer
2) A 5-ounce (148 ml) glass of wine
3) A 1.5-ounce (44 ml) shot of 80 proof distilled alcohol

Health benefits associated with moderate drinking include:
1) Reduced mortality – light drinkers tend to live longer.
2) Lower risk of heart diseases and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
3) Lower risk having a heart attack.
4) Lower risk of dying from a heart attack if you have one.
5) Reduction in chance of having diabetes.
6) Reduction in chance of having a stroke.
7) Reduction in occurrence of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
8) Reduced LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and increased HDL (“good” cholesterol).
And last but not least…
9) Lower chance of having High Blood Pressure (hypertension).
It’s true, moderate (with moderate being the key word) drinkers tend to have lower blood pressure than heavy drinkers and people who don’t drink at all.

So, how could moderate drinking have all of these health benefits? One interesting observation is called the “French paradox” – based on the fact that the French tend to eat high levels of saturated fat, but they also tend to have a low incidence of heart diseases.

Some researchers have speculated that perhaps the antioxidants in red wine, called “flavonoids,” help promote cardiovascular health. One problem with this theory is that the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption also come with beer and other kinds of alcohol.

By the way, there’s no reason to drink wine to “get your flavonoids” - other excellent sources include: citrus fruits, berries, gingko biloba, onions, kale, broccoli, celery, parsley, beans, peas, lentils, tea (especially white and green tea), and dark chocolate (with 70+% cocoa content).

Now for the “Dark Side.” Drinking any more than moderate amounts of alcohol can seriously damage your health.

Issues can include:
#1: High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). Alcohol causes blood vessels to relax in moderate amounts (lowering your blood pressure); but it causes them to constrict in higher amounts (leading to high blood pressure). Heavy drinkers can lower their blood pressure by up to 4 points by reducing their consumption to moderate levels.

Beyond high blood pressure, heavy drinking is also associated with: Breast Cancer and other Cancers (including the: mouth, throat, pancreas and liver); Cirrhosis of the liver; Fetal alcohol syndrome; Heart muscle damage (causing heart failure); Pancreatitis (inflammation or infection of the pancreas); Sudden death (in people with cardiovascular disease); Stroke; Miscarriage; and Suicide.

Alcohol is a powerful drug and it can take over your life. If you’re a heavy drinker, there are countless support groups. You’re not alone - please get help today.

Also, it’s essential to note that although moderate drinking is associated with health benefits, physicians don’t encourage non-drinkers to start drinking just because of them.

The research shows that moderate drinkers are healthier overall than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers – but if you do choose to drink, responsible moderation is the essential key.