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Author: Peter Cutforth

  • Research Shows Alcohol Contributes to Cancer

    The Cancer Council of Australia has pointed out that a large number of cancer deaths in Oz can be prevented by limiting the amount of alcohol we consume. In studies conducted in 2004-2005 the cost of alcohol to Australians was estimated at $15.3 billion. That combined with smoking and an overall unhealthy lifestyle is what is causing so many cancer deaths in Oz. The Cancer Council advocates a lifestyle change, which includes cutting out smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, eating healthier foods and exercise to reduce high cancer statistics.
     

    In terms of alcohol consumption, people should be limiting themselves to a maximum of a few standard drinks a day. Studies also show that young adults especially are putting themselves at risk by excessively consuming alcohol.
     

    This post on the Canberratimes.com website is informative on the issue:
     

    AUSTRALIANS would rejoice if medical science could prevent 30 per cent of cancer deaths in this country, yet a solution is already available.
     

    Cancer Council of Australia chief executive Ian Olver says a dramatic reduction of cancer deaths is possible, simply with lifestyle changes. Those choices include not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, eating healthy food and reasonable exercise.
     

    The recent ruling by Australia’s High Court which in effect supported the government’s decision to require cigarettes to be sold in olive-brown packets seems likely to limit the uptake of smoking by young people, but this is only one component of what should be a far broader approach to improving Australia’s overall health.
     

    Estimating the economic cost to Australia of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs is reasonably inexact. It seems the most credible work on this is by Collins and Lapsley, and that data is based on 2004-05 figures. However, it certainly gives an indication of the need to address the use of these drugs.
     

    In summary, in 2004-05, tobacco smoking was estimated to cost Australian society $31.5 billion; the consumption of alcohol, $15.3 billion; and the social cost of illicit drug use was estimated at $8.2 billion. We now need a study of the social cost of junk food.
     

    Whether the plain packaging of tobacco will achieve the aim of making the product less attractive will take some years to determine. Meanwhile, it is fair to ask why purveyors of alcohol and junk food are free to advertise with only limited restrictions. It is not reasonable to argue, as tobacco producers do, that consumption of potentially dangerous products is a matter only of personal choice. As indicated by the Collins and Lapsley figures, poor individual choices are paid for by everyone.
     

    With the known risks of alcohol consumption, Professor Olver says the council supports the National Health and Medical Research Council recommendation that people should limit themselves to a couple of standard drinks a day.
     

    Yet a 2010 study found 28 per cent of males and 11 per cent of females in Australia drank alcohol at levels that put them at risk of alcohol-related harm over their lifetime. It also found 23 per cent of males and nine per cent of females consumed alcohol in quantities that put them at risk of alcohol-related injury from a single drinking occasion at least weekly.
     

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/the-hidden-costs-of-alcohol-and-junk-food-20120825-24sr4.html#ixzz24ajQHKXF

    According to research done in The U.K, the excessive consumption of alcohol can certainly contribute to 7 kinds of cancer. Obviously not all people who drink alcohol are going to develop cancer but alcohol can contribute to:
     
    1. Mouth cancer
    2. Pharyngeal cancer (upper throat)
    3. Oesophageal cancer (food pipe)
    4. Laryngeal cancer (voice box)
    5. Breast cancer
    6. Bowel cancer
    7. Liver cancer
      

    In addition to that, people who smoke and drink alcohol excessively increase their chances of cancer even more because tobacco and alcohol combined work together to damage cells of your body. Doctors even warn that alcohol makes it easier for the mouth and throat to absorb the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco.
     

    Studies have found that, on average, people who smoke and drink are up to 50 times more likely to get some types of cancer than people that don’t.
     

    But how exactly does alcohol damage your body? Well when we drink alcohol, it is converted in the body into a toxic chemical called Acetaldehyde. This chemical is responsible for the hangovers we feel after drinking.  But perhaps even worse than the hangover it causes, this toxic chemical actually damages DNA and stops cells from repairing damage done by the Acetaldehyde. It also makes liver cells grow faster than normal which are more likely to pick up changes in their DNA leading to cancer.
     

    So before you go on that next drinking spree, don’t just think of the headache the next day but also remember the long term damage you are doing to your body.  This is just another reason to drink and serve alcohol responsibly.
     

  • Minimum alcohol price would hurt hospitality: AHA

    According to The Australian Hotels Association, imposing a minimum national alcohol price would be harmful to the hospitality industry in Oz.
     

    A paper released by The Australian National Preventative Health Agency has advocated that government implement a minimum pricing for alcohol in an effort to reduce the amount of alcohol addictions that occur in the country. Such an initiative has already been put in place in other countries in Europe such as Russia and Scotland in order to prevent the health consequences caused by excessive drinking and its cost on the economy.
     

    Basically by increasing the minimum price consumers have to spend on alcohol, the amount of alcohol consumed is lowered. Such a strategy has even been advocated by The World Health Organisation. The organisation also claims that problem drinkers tend to prefer cheaper alcohol, so implementing a national minimum price would discourage them from drinking so much.
     

    The Australian Hotels Association has criticised the proposition, citing a lack of evidence in the claims that it would reduce excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse.  The Association believes that moderate drinkers who do not abuse alcohol are the ones who will suffer the most from this initiative. Hotels would also suffer financial losses together with Australian wine producers, according to the Hotels Association.
     

    The issue was highlighted by a post on Hospitalitymagazine.com:
     

    The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has announced its opposition to a national minimum alcohol price, claiming it would have an adverse impact on the country’s hospitality industry.
     

    AHA’s position is in response to an Issue Paper released by the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA), which provides an overview of alcohol consumption in Australia and promotes discussion on the issue of minimum pricing.
     

    Already seen in countries including Russia, Scotland and Ukraine, minimum pricing would introduce a minimum price per standard drink (or unit of alcohol) that alcoholic beverages must be sold for.
     

    The paper released by ANPHA, a government agency aimed at strengthening Australia’s investment and infrastructure in preventive health, states “…evidence consistently suggests that the price of alcohol influences alcohol consumption and harms. Whilst the relationship between alcohol price and consumption of specific beverages can vary significantly, in general, an increase in the price of alcohol leads to a decrease in alcohol consumption and alcohol related harm.
     

    “The Preventative Health Taskforce’s technical report on alcohol reviewed more than 50 studies from around the world indicating that when alcohol increases in price, consumption is reduced. The World Health Organisation states that increasing alcohol price is one of the most effective strategies for reducing alcohol consumption at the population level.”
     

    However the AHA argues that there is insufficient evidence that such a policy would actually result in a reduction in excessive and harmful drinking. In fact a statement issued by AHA argues that minimum pricing could actually hurt responsible, moderate drinkers more than problem drinkers.
     

    “The available evidence on minimum alcohol pricing suggests a national minimum alcohol price would have a significant impact on the majority of Australians who consume alcohol responsibly in moderation, and a lesser impact on the minority of people who engage in harmful drinking behaviour,” it reads.
     

    To counter this, the ANPHA argues that problem drinkers prefer cheaper alcohol beverages, more so than responsible drinkers, and therefore a minimum pricing policy could achieve the desired result of curbing excessive alcohol consumption.
     

    The hospitality industry would also suffer reduced patronage at the hands of minimum pricing and the viability of the domestic wine industry would be threatened, says the AHA.
     

    “The available evidence suggests the introduction of a national minimum alcohol price would have a significantly adverse impact on the hospitality industry despite the fact that most alcohol sold in hotels for consumption on the licensed premises is sold for well above any suggested minimum alcohol price.”
     

    It is also possible that the clustering of products around the nominated minimum price would see other products hike up their price in order for them to differentiate themselves and be perceived as being a higher quality offering.
     

    Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/minimum-alcohol-price-would-hurt-hospitality-aha

     

    The initiative seems to have been successful in countries like Scotland, which previously saw a large number of alcohol related deaths, a figure which has dropped since the implementation of the national minimum pricing on alcohol as many drinkers simply could no longer afford to abuse alcohol.  Whether or not it will have the same effect on Australian drinkers remains to be seen.

     

  • Mixing Alcohol and Prescription Drugs a Deadly Combination

    MIXING PRESCRIPTION PILLS
     

    It seems like not a year can go by when one or the other celebrity isn’t found in their room, having overdosed on alcohol and prescription drugs.  Most recently the death of Whitney Houstan being an example. Both alcohol and Xanax, were found in her hotel room shortly after she died. Combined these substances inhibit the central nervous system and depend on the same enzyme for bodily clearance.
     

    Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith are just 3 other celebrities who are said to have died similarly. So if its occurring so often with celebrities, it is probably also affecting the ordinary man of the street as well, just receiving less publicity.
     

    I recently came across statistics that showed that in 2007 alone 27,000 Americans died from unintentional prescription drug overdoses, more lives than those claimed by car crashes.  This is an epidemic which seems to be on the rise.
     

    Painkillers and alcohol are probably the worst to mix, because both slow breathing by different mechanisms and inhibit the coughing reflex.
     

    According to research conducted in The States mixing alcohol and drugs places you at risk of internal bleeding, heart problems, difficulty breathing, headaches, drowsiness, fainting or loss of coordination.  The scary part is that many of the medications that have an adverse effect when mixed with alcohol are available over the counter.
     

    Some prescription and over-the-counter medications also contain alcohol, which increases the effect of alcohol. Alcohol also affects women differently from men and the elderly differently from those who are younger so no one should take a chance.
     

    Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it decreases your motor coordination, rate of breathing and the digestive process. When combined with other depressant drugs it has the potential to shut the body down entirely.  Because some drugs and alcohol also compete for the same method of absorption into the body, the potency of the drug or the alcohol is increased.
     

    Each person is different and the result of mixing alcohol and drugs is unique and unpredictable, which is one of the reasons why mixing is such a dangerous risk to take. Chronic use or intermittent use of drugs and alcohol will lead to liver damage, gastric ulcers, dangerous rise in blood pressure, unusual behavior, memory problems, stroke, coma or sudden death.
     

    Another sad and shocking statistic is the number of teenagers that are engaging in this dangerous practice. While it is being documented in the USA, it can also be beneficial for parents in Oz to be aware of. This post on Livestrong.com.au details the problem:
     

    Teenagers abuse many forms of prescription drugs in an effort to get high, fit in, lose weight, increase academic performance and improve their athletic abilities. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2009, 20 percent of high school students in the United States had at some time abused prescription medication.
     

     Basics
     

     Teens remove prescription medications from their parents’ medicine cabinets or buy the drugs illegally via the Internet. They often sell these drugs to other teens, abuse them themselves or provide them for peer groups or at parties.
     

    Parties in which prescription drugs are abused are often termed pharm parties, at which bowls or bags contain a plethora of random pills and are labeled trail mix, according to USA Today.
     

    Teens also mix prescription medication abuse with alcohol. Mixing drugs with drugs or drugs with alcohol can be dangerous combinations. Mixing prescription drugs with other prescription medications can lead to addiction, the use of more addictive drugs, poor judgment, academic failure, relationship problems, mental health disorders and overdose.
     

     Considerations
     

     Abuse of prescription drugs is as common among teenagers as illicit drug abuse and has continued to rise, notes the Teen Drug Abuse website. Teens abuse prescription medications for several reasons: They are generally easily accessible, the teens feel that prescription medications are less risky than other drugs, and their knowledge on the risks associated with mixing prescription drugs for use is limited, reports MayoClinic.com.
     

     Types
     

     According to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy, there are three classes of prescription drugs commonly abused by teens: opioids, central nervous system depressants and stimulants. Some of the specific drugs include but are not limited to codeine, oxycodone, morphine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate, according to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy.
     

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/234284-about-teenagers-mixing-prescription-pills/#ixzz23BXBTZAg

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     

     

  • Campaign to Warn Pregnant Drinkers

    ‘I can’t serve you. You’re pregnant”
     

    I recently discovered a group in the alcohol industry had launched a controversial new campaign to warn expectant mothers of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. The group apparently initiated the campaign after it was lambasted for not displaying warning signs on labels prominently enough.
     

    This post on SMH.com.au explains:
     

    AN alcohol industry group will launch a campaign today to warn against drinking during pregnancy, after it came under fire over the low visibility of health warnings on drink labels.
     

    DrinkWise Australia’s new campaign is backed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and features a foetal medicine expert, Alec Welsh, who advises women that ”drinking no alcohol is the safest choice for your baby”.
     

    The promotion follows findings revealed by the Herald that DrinkWise health warnings had reached fewer than one in six alcohol products, a year after their introduction. The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education commissioned the survey, which also found most warnings to be barely legible.
     

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/news/national/national/general/new-warning-over-alcohol/2647281.aspx

     

    Surely mothers should know by now the damage their drinking is doing to their unborn child.
     

    A recent study by The Centre for Disease Control in The USA showed that drinking during pregnancy was the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in children. Drinking not only damages the unborn baby but can also increase the risk of miscarriages, the study also showed. It was also the leading cause of premature birth or still born babies.
     

    While some of the effects are demonstrated in childhood, sadly others may present themselves during adulthood such as developmental delays, learning disabilities, behavioural problems, mental illnesses and some effects that were displayed in childhood were heart defects, problems developing normally, low birth weight. Therefore it is recommended that pregnant women as well as breast feeding mothers avoid consuming alcohol altogether. The risks are too great and the effects can be long term.
     

    I recently came across this post on Theage.com.au which highlights an incident where a server refused to serve alcohol to a pregnant woman. What exactly is the responsibility of the server? Did the server act correctly? Maybe this post can provide some insight:
     

    Dining with a friend in California last month, a member of popular parenting website BabyCenter was aghast when a waitress refused to serve her alcohol because she was pregnant.
     

     “My friend ordered a glass of wine and before the server walked off, I said I would like one as well,” she wrote. “She said she can’t serve me. I said, ‘My OB says a glass of wine in moderation is ok.’ She replied that she has heard that before and still refused to serve me. I was flabbergasted, embarrassed and downright p*ssed. I ate my meal with my friend and decided not to make a scene. When I got home that night I looked up the law. Essentially she violated my civil rights, and discriminated against me.”
     

     The incident set comment feeds afire, with impassioned arguments from both sides of the great moral divide as to whether restaurants have the right to refuse service and, indeed, if one should indulge in even the occasional tipple while pregnant.
     

     The hotly debated post was published the same day the findings of a Danish study on the effects of low and moderate drinking in early pregnancy were made available. In the research, doctors from Aarhus University Hospital and the Institute of Public Health, Medical Psychology Unit at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, looked at the incidence of adverse neuropsychological effects among five-year-olds whose mothers were recruited from the Danish National Birth Cohort during their first antenatal visit – with 1628 women taking part.
     

    Defining lower levels of alcohol consumption as one-to-four drinks per week, moderate as five-to-eight and high levels as nine or more, and classifying binge drinking as five or more drinks in one sitting, researchers found that low-to-moderate weekly drinking in early pregnancy had no significant impact on IQ, attention span, or executive functions such as planning, organisation and self-control. They also discovered that high levels of alcohol were associated with lower attention span.
     

     However, the study authors stress that the amount of alcohol in a standard drink varies significantly from country to country and conclude that the most conservative advice for women is to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.
     

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/i-cant-serve-you-youre-pregnant-20120710-21sob.html#ixzz239GwORFl

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     

     

  • Best Hangover Cures

    So you got that promotion you’ve been working so hard towards or finally get engaged and it’s a life changing event that warrants some serious celebration. So you head out with your friends to celebrate and let your hair down.
     

    Well we seldom think of the suffering we will most likely have to endure the next day when inevitably the dreaded hangover kicks in.
     

    It’s most likely that you will wake up the next morning with a pounding headache, dizziness, aching muscles, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and an overall feeling of irritability. The smell of food or alcohol is enough to make you vomit.
     

    Although we don’t like to admit it, especially when we’re having such a good time, alcohol is a drug. It’s a depressant, and when it is taken in excess, it fills the body with toxins.
     

    Your body reacts as it would to any drug overdose which is trying to metabolize and get rid of the toxins.
     

    We all know the best way to prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation or abstaining from alcohol but where’s the fun in that? So keeping well-hydrated and well-nourished when you’re drinking is your best way of reducing hangover symptoms.
     

    Here are few cures that according to doctors may help:
     

    1.       Bananas
     

    Intoxication and the dehydration that it causes means that your body has been drained of potassium. Eat a banana to give your body the potassium boost that it needs.
     

    2.       Ginger
     

    In the East they have been using ginger to cure nausea. If you are really hung over drink a ginger ale or brew some ginger tea by boiling ginger in hot water. Add orange juice and lemon and honey for a super cure to that nauseous feeling.  
     

    3.       Honey and Lemon
     

    A hot toddy made by combining honey, lemon and hot water is an excellent way of  replenishing lost fluids and sugars to the body.  The fructose in the honey competes for the metabolism of alcohol which prevents the rapid change in alcohol levels that results in headaches.
     

    4.       Eat Food
     

    Although you may be too nauseous to even think of food you need the energy. Stay away from clear liquids until you can tolerate something solid. Then start off slowly with mild, easy-to-digest foods such as plain toast, rice or clear soup.
     

    5.       Consume Sport Drinks
     

    Sports drinks are composed of electrolytes and glucose which are used by athletes to replace lost fluids, it can work for hangovers too.
     

    6.       Use Ice
     

    An ice compress can help the headache. So place it on your forehead or where your head hurts the most.
     

    7.       Drink Juice
     

    Fresh orange juice especially can raise your blood sugar level and ease the symptoms of the hangover.
     

    8.       Drink Water
     

     
     

    Water is undeniably the best cure for a night of overindulgence. Dehydration is the biggest side effect of drinking and causes most of the discomfort you feel during the hangover period, so drink water to replenish the liquid you’ve lost.  
     

    Tips to Remember:
     

    • Always drink plenty of water. Even before you go to sleep have a full glass of water and the next morning the symptoms won’t be as bad. If you can remember one thing while intoxicated, remember this: Consume enough water before going to bed. It will help stop dehydration before it starts and you’ll feel much better in the morning.
     

    • Drink only one alcohol beverage or less every hour and do so slowly. One hour is approximately the time it takes for the average adult body to process an alcoholic beverage.
     

    • Get plenty of Rest. Draw the curtains and the blinds, unplug the telephone and go to sleep.
     

    • Never, ever under any circumstances drink and drive. Before overindulging make sure you have a safe way of getting home. A designated driver, a taxi cab, a friend or family member to pick you up…arrange this beforehand.
     

    • Try antacid to relieve queasiness and settle your stomach, this will especially help with that nauseated feeling that is so synonymous with hangovers.
     

    • Take a multivitamin with B vitamins to replace those lost during your night of drinking. Drink more than eight glasses of water a day while recovering from the hangover, most should only last a day.
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     


     

  • Link between Alcohol and Violence

    Alcohol and Violence
     

    In light of the recent tragic demise of the young Thomas Kelly in Sydney’s now notorious Kings Cross district, there has been much talk about the role that alcohol played in the incident and in fact the role it plays in all violent incidents in the area. Is there really a correlation between alcohol over-indulgence and violence?
     

    Politicians and police have been scrambling for ways to combat the violence in these entertainment areas, with such suggestions as lock-outs put forward as well as campaigns to educate the youth. But is the problem much deeper than that? What exactly is the connection between alcohol and violence?
     

    Alcohol has been identified as the main contributor to the violence in the Kings Cross area and something needs to be done before the problem escalates into more deaths.
     

    Late trading hours and lack of public transport are just a few of the issues that make the area so conducive to violence. Authorities have been urged to address these problems. There is no doubt that increased policing in the area needs to be implemented by authorities. But more importantly the problem of providing alcohol to these criminals in the first place needs to be addressed.
     

    Drinking alcohol affects a person’s ability to make safe decisions and often makes a person lose their inhibitions, resulting in fighting and a lack of self-preservation instincts. Research shows that there are strong links between excessive alcohol consumption and being a victim or perpetrator  of violence.
     

    While we are all aware of the physical effects of alcohol, alcohol consumption has been shown to directly affect cognitive functions as well. Meaning that it affects the way a person thinks, often hindering logical thinking. A person can lose self-control and indulge in activities that they wouldn’t ordinarily, such as unsafe sex and violence. Excessive drinking brings out the risk taker in people, especially teenagers who are not developed mentally or emotionally enough.
     

    Alcohol abuse can increase emotions and often makes a person more impulsive, so violent confrontations seem like a good idea at the time. Built up frustration is let out, often without the fear of the consequences.
     

    Reduced physical control and ability to recognise early warning signs can make some people, especially teenagers easy targets. Alcohol and violence is often a central part of youth gang culture and often times young people will indulge in excessive amounts of alcohol in anticipation of a violent confrontation.
     

    So basically alcohol consumption increases a person’s aggression and often results in violence. People, particularly youth that are intoxicated will quickly become hostile and easily aggravated, which is why they resort to violence quickly. Alcohol does this by interrupting normal brain functioning.
     

    Scientists have long stressed the ability of alcohol to affect the brain by inhibiting normal restraintive behaviour, causing over aggression.
     

     By impairing the processing of information, alcohol may lead a person to misjudge social cues that they would normally understand, by overreacting to a perceived threat. Also the person’s ability to pay attention is hampered which may lead them to irrationally react with violence.
     

    Studies also show that people’s aggressive reactions proportionally correspond with the amount of alcohol they intake.
     

    While science has proven a direct link between alcohol and violence, some scientist argue that alcohol merely brings to the surface aggression already within a person. Often people will only become aggressive if they perceive a threat. This theory would exonerate the pubs in the Kings Cross Area because the problem of violence is more rooted in a person’s social background, rather than being brought on by alcohol.
     

    Such social problems as childhood abuse, bullying, victimisation etc. are more likely to cause a person to become violent than excessive alcohol intake. However Serotonin, the chemical messenger in the brain which acts as a behavioural inhibitor, is decreased during intoxication which may contribute to aggressive behaviour and violence.
     

    While authorities attempt to tighten laws to reduce the violence and hold businesses responsible for the service of alcohol, perhaps an overhaul at grassroots level is needed. More education about the negative effects of alcohol among teens and at schools may also provide some assistance. Parents have an important role to play as well, because children often mimic their behaviour, including their alcohol consumption habits. So perhaps a more holistic approach to the problem is called for.
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     


     

  • Alcohol and Sports. Do they mix?

    So with the Olympics on everybody’s minds it crossed my mind, should athletes be drinking? It’s obvious that alcohol has an effect on ones performance while intoxicated or hung over, but are there lasting effects that could jeopardise an athlete’s ability to perform optimally in the long run.
     

    In addition to waking up with a pounding headache, dry mouth, nauseous with an upset stomach drinking alcohol can affect an athlete’s performance because it dehydrates them. Alcohol also lowers the action of the anti-diuretic hormone. This is the hormone that tells the kidneys to conserve water. When this hormone is reduced it increases the need to urinate and increases the risk of dehydration.  This puts serious stress on the kidneys.
     

    The reason this is particularly relevant to athletes is that the water balance in muscle cells can also be disrupted, because their ability to produce adenosine triphosphate is weakened. Adenosine triphosphate is the fuel that allows muscles to contract.
     
    Excessive alcohol consumption can result in deficiencies in water-soluble vitamins such as niacin, vitamin C and thiamin, all of which are vitally important to muscles. Alcohol consumption also cause the body to have trouble absorbing important nutrients like magnesium, iron and zinc, key minerals that help the body metabolize protein, fat and carbs.
     

    So are those the only side effects? Actually no. Alcohol consumption also hinders balance, hand-eye coordination and skills that require fast reaction time, all abilities needed for athletes to perform at their peak. The body will experience a decrease in strength as well as muscular and cardiovascular endurance. So basically alcohol and athletes don’t mix. Alcohol consumption will decrease an athlete’s ability to train and perform at their best.
     

    So how long after consumption will the alcohol affect an athlete’s performance? Even moderate alcohol consumption can affect your athletic performance for up to 48 hours after drinking, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed.
     

    So alcohol affects athletes in the following ways:
     

    • It increases the risk of the body becoming dehydrated because alcohol acts as a diuretic. It also dehydrates muscles don’t function properly, and shut down sooner. Also, dehydration may cause intense headaches and muscle cramping.
    • It impairs the body’s heat regulating ability which in turn affects endurance. Something that every athlete needs. Alcohol can cause a large number of issues, including heat exhaustion and even death).
    • Alcohol reduced your blood sugar levels which lowers energy level needed for prolonged physical activity.
    • Alcohol impairs your reaction times, coordination and balance
    • It reduces endurance, strength and speed
    • The risk of injury is increased and increases the recovery time needed.
    • Alcohol decreases the body’s ability to absorb necessary nutrients and deplete vitamins already stored. It depletes the body of valuable vitamins and minerals.
    • Alcohol also slows down the respiratory system.
    • Alcohol abuse can interrupt normal sleep patterns and interferes with an athlete receiving a good night’s rest.
    • It delays recovery after exercise by slowing the replacement of muscle and liver glycogen, this is the primary fuel of the body used during exercise.
    • Alcohol consumption also increases blood pressure.
    • Drinking has also been found to delay recovery from soft tissue injuries. Injured athletes need to get back into the game and competition ready as quickly as possible—anything slowing down this process should be avoided including alcohol.
    • It slows down reaction time for 48-72 hours after intoxication depending on a number of factors including gender, weight etc.  It also impairs coordination for up to 72 hours after consumption, something that athletes cannot do without. It can also impair concentration.
    • Athletes are more often than not watching their weight. Alcohol is fattening. It provides a lot of empty calories and has been proven to increase fat storage.
    • Alcohol is a depressant, which can affect a person’s mental and emotional state.
    • It inhibits protein binding (absorption) which prevents tissue repair following a workout. Some have gone so far as to say that athletes may as well throw out that protein shake if you choose to drink alcohol afterwards as it’s not going to have the desired effect.
    • Alcohol also shrinks muscle tissue and lowers natural testosterone levels.

    Athletes should remember to: 

    • Stay away from alcohol consumption for at least 48 hours before strenuous exercise/training/playing sport.
    • After exercise you must re-hydrate with non-alcoholic drinks, but this is something all athletes should know and be doing anyway.

     

  • Wine Appreciation News

    Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards was recently held with The Royal Mail Hotel scooping top honours. The hotel in Dunkeld in Western Victoria was found to possess the country’s best wine list. The competition was judged by a panel of 28 judges, many of which described the hotels wine list as “Exemplary”.
     

    The hotel impressed judges with its wide range of wines on offer, catering to a plethora of palettes. There were also a variety of other winners in different categories and also recognising those establishments that featured outstanding Australian wine lists.
     

    This post on Hospitalitymagazine.com provides a detailed list of the competitions winners:

     

    “Everyone was thoroughly impressed by the Royal Mail’s extensive choice of wines across different price points, wines by the glass, collections of museum verticals and, of special note, an extraordinary selection of local and international rieslings,” said Rob Hirst, chairman of Fine Wine Partners and Judy Sarris, editor, Gourmet Traveller WINE.
     

    The Royal Mail Hotel also won best Country Restaurant Wine List, Best List in Victoria and Crowther was also awarded the Judy Hirst Award for his role in managing the wine list.
     

    Other state winners at this year’s awards were:
     

     • Rubicon – ACT
     

    • Apothecary 1878 – South Australia
     

    • Me Wah – Tasmania
     

    • Ortiga – Queensland
     

    • Glass Brasserie –  NSW
     

    • Rockpool Bar and Grill, Perth – WA
     

    • Char – Northern Territory
     

    This year saw the emergence of a new award, the Best Listing of Australian Wine, which reflects Australians’ growing palette for locally grown and produced drops, and was presented to Sydney’s Aria.
     

    Other winners on the night were:
     

     • NEW WINE LIST – TONY HITCHIN AWARD – The Trustee, Perth, WA
     

    • REGIONAL WINE LIST – Lake House, Daylesford, VIC
     

    • SMALL WINE LIST – Bloodwood, Sydney, NSW
     

    • FOOD AND WINE MATCHING WINE LIST – Circa, The Prince, VIC
     

    • INTERNATIONAL HOTEL RESTAURANT WINE LIST – Balla, The Star, Sydney, NSW
     

    • WINE BAR LIST – Melbourne Supper Club, VIC
     

    • PUB RESTAURANT WINE LIST – The Botanical, South Yarra, VIC
     

    • CAFè/BRASSERIE WINE LIST – European, Melbourne, VIC
     

    • CLUB WINE LIST – The Brisbane Club, Brisbane, Qld
     

    Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/royal-mail-hotel-praised-with-country-s-best-wine

     

    In related news I came across a new development that may revolutionise the appreciation of wine, by altering the shape of the wine glass.
     

    A new design by the famous French glass maker, Baccarat claims to tame the harsh alcohol taste in the wine to reveal the more subtle flavours and aromas. A feat no other glass maker can claim, according to Baccarat.  The glass makers claim that the vessel enables the drinker to gain that all elusive balance in wines, giving just the right amount of “fire and water”. 
     

    The design of the glass, although strange in comparison to traditional designs, prevents the alcohol content in the wine from overpowering the other flavours and aromas.
     

    The actual shape of the glass is a broad base with sloping sides and an extremely narrow lip at the top of the narrow vertical ”chimney”.
     

    This post on Hospitalitymagazine.com describes the revolutionary glass in detail:
     

    Could a wine glass in the shape of a tulip revolutionise the appreciation of wine?
     

    That’s what French glassmaker Baccarat is predicting with a new glass design that it says can tame the alcohol in the wine and reveal the complexity of wine better than any other glass available.
     

    “People tend to confuse good wine with alcohol in wine, which is not what we want,” Bruno Quenioux, technical adviser of the new glass design in the Chateau Baccarat collection has told Reuters.
     

    “What is complicated with wine is to get the balance between the fire and water. Get too much fire in the wine and you lose the message of the water… But if you put too much water in the fire, then the fire is dead.”
     

    The glass features a broad base, a saucer-like cup, sloping sides and an unusually narrow lip at the end of a vertical “chimney” that Baccarat says prevents the alcohol from overpowering other aromas since it sinks down when the glass is swirled prior to tasting.
     

     The glasses were unveiled in Europe in March earlier this year but have just also been launched in China. 
     

    Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/tiptoe-to-this-tulip-for-better-wine-appreciation
     

     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     


     

  • How to Identify Alcohol Abuse

    All too often we hear of friends or relatives who are abusing alcohol. What exactly is alcoholism or alcohol addiction and is it really that dangerous?
     

    Most simply put alcoholism is a compulsive need to consume an intoxicating liquid that is obtained from fermented grain or fruit. These intoxicated liquids include beer, wine, and other hard liquors.
     

    Alcohols are people who constantly crave alcohol and cannot control or limit the amount they drink or how often they drink. These people may even experience unnatural withdrawal experiences such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, or anxiety when alcohol consumption has ceased, or if there is a need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to feel a high, that person is most likely alcoholic.
     

    For those of us who have never had an alcohol problem, it seem as simply as just willing yourself to stop, but if it were that easy we wouldn’t have so many alcoholics around. In fact alcoholics find their cravings so bad that it over runs all other cravings and needs, such as hunger. That is why alcoholics need help in order to stop. Treatment will most probably be necessary, as well as support from family and friends in order for alcoholics to rebuild their normal lives.  Unfortunately some people cannot stop despite this support and assistance.
     

    So what causes some people to become addicted to alcohol while others can resist the addiction?
     

    Well research has emerged that says that people with a history of alcoholism in the family are more likely to themselves become addicts. In addition to that a person’s environment or life experiences may lead them to a life of addiction, such as those who are exposed to trauma or abuse. Factors that may include contribute include culture, family, friends, peer pressures and where the person lives.
     

    Alcoholism is both physically and mentally destructive and takes it’s toll on a person’s relationships as well. Statistics show that alcohol abuse has become such a problematic feature in society that almost half of all crimes, murders, accidental deaths, and suicides can be attributed to alcohol abuse.  There are also many health problems associated with alcohol use such as brain damage, cancer, heart disease and liver diseases. In fact researchers have concluded that alcoholics who do not stop drinking reduce their life expectancy by 10 to 15 years.
     

    The physical damage done by alcohol is great and too much alcohol can destroy brain cells and possibly leading to brain damage. Alcohol also negatively affects the structure and function of the central nervous system and particularly the brain hindering the ability to retrieve, consolidate, and process information.
     

    Consuming a moderate amount of alcohol can affect cognitive abilities, so one can imagine the effect of large amounts. Alcohol over consumption can interfere with the oxygen supply of the brain causing a blackout when totally drunk.  Sometimes it can also lead to inflammation of the mouth, oesophagus and stomach and sometimes progresses into cancer in these areas, especially when combined with smoking.  
     

    Binge drinking may result in an irregular heartbeat and a higher risk of high-blood pressure, heart attacks and other heart problems.
     

    In addition to these serious problems alcoholism can also harm a person’s sight and damage their sexual function. Overindulgence can also slow circulation and be the grounds for malnutrition or even water retention. Many skin and pancreatic disorders can also result, as well as weakened bones and muscles leading to a decreasing immunity. A decreased immunity of course leaves one susceptible to viruses, illnesses and diseases.
     

    Of course the greatest documented damage is done to the liver because a large portion of alcohol consumed is broken down in the liver. The liver works at a fixed rate and so overuse of the lover results in numerous problems, disorders and malfunctions. So basically the liver bears the brunt of alcohol abuse.
     

     Liver damage occurs in three stages.
     

    1. Liver enlargement – liver cells are penetrated with abnormal fatty tissue.
    2. Alcoholic hepatitis – liver cells swell, inflame, and eventually die.
    3. Cirrhosis – fibrous scar tissues are formed, hindering the flow of blood through the liver.

     
     

    How to Handle Alcohol Addiction?
     

    An alcoholic must have a desire to stop and identify why they became an alcoholic in the first place. Was it deep emotional pain, a past experience, insecurities etc.? Knowing the cause of the problem is an important step in finding a solution. Seek counselling to aid in the process or seek a good rehabilitation facility.  Most importantly make the decision to get help.
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     


     

  • Study Proves Alcohol Has Different Effects in Men and Women

    A new study by The Boston University School of Medicine has confirmed that alcohol affects males and females differently. According to the new study the effects of alcohol abuse have differing effects on the white matter of the brain.
     

    Previous studies showed a link between alcoholism and white matter reduction and this new study has provided further understanding of this phenomenon.
     

    This post on thetimesofindia.com provides a detailed explanation of the study:
     

    The effects of long-term alcohol abuse on white matter brain volume are different for men and women, according to a new study.
     

    The study, carried out by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, also suggests that with abstinence, women recover their white matter brain volume more quickly than men.
     

    The study was led by Susan Mosher Ruiz, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist in the Laboratory for Neuropsychology at BUSM and research scientist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, and Marlene Oscar Berman, PhD, professor of psychiatry, neurology and anatomy and neurobiology at BUSM and research career scientist at the VA Boston Healthcare System.
     

    In previous research, alcoholism has been associated with white matter pathology. White matter forms the connections between neurons, allowing communication between different areas of the brain.
     

    While previous neuroimaging studies have shown an association between alcoholism and white matter reduction, this study furthered the understanding of this effect by examining gender differences and utilizing a novel region-of-interest approach.
     

    The research team employed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the effects of drinking history and gender on white matter volume. They examined brain images from 42 abstinent alcoholic men and women who drank heavily for more than five years and 42 nonalcoholic control men and women.
     

    Looking at the correlation between years of alcohol abuse and white matter volume, the researchers found that a greater number of years of alcohol abuse was associated with smaller white matter volumes in the abstinent alcoholic men and women. In the men, the decrease was observed in the corpus callosum while in women, this effect was observed in cortical white matter regions.
     

    “We believe that many of the cognitive and emotional deficits observed in people with chronic alcoholism, including memory problems and flat affect, are related to disconnections that result from a loss of white matter,” said Mosher Ruiz.
     

    The researchers also examined if the average number of drinks consumed per day was associated with reduced white matter volume. They found that the number of daily drinks did have a strong impact on alcoholic women, and the volume loss was one and a half to two percent for each additional daily drink.
     

    Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Alcohol-affects-women-and-men-differently/articleshow/15436285.cms

     

    Also the study showed an 8 to 10 per cent increase in the size of the brain ventricles. These are the areas filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that play a protective role in the brain. When white matter dies, CSF produced in the ventricles fills the ventricular space, leaving the brain unprotected.
     

    The rate at which the brain’s white matter recovers from alcohol intake was also part of the study. The research showed that the white brain matter of women recovered faster than that of men’s brains. This study not only outlines the dangers of alcohol abuse because of its negative effects on the brain but it should also serve as a deterrent to would be alcohol abusers, it takes longer than expected for the body(especially the brain) to recover from alcohol abuse. 
     

    The post goes on to state:
     

    Recovery of white matter brain volume also was examined. They found that, in men, the corpus callosum recovered at a rate of one percent per year for each additional year of abstinence. For people who abstained less than a year, the researchers found evidence of increased white matter volume and decreased ventricular volume in women, but not at all in men.
     

    However, for people in recovery for more than a year, those signs of recovery disappeared in women and became apparent in men.
     

    “These findings preliminarily suggest that restoration and recovery of the brain’s white matter among alcoholics occurs later in abstinence for men than for women,” said Mosher Ruiz.
     

    Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Alcohol-affects-women-and-men-differently/articleshow/15436285.cms

     
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth