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Tag: Moderate drinking

  • Summer Responsible Alcohol Consumption Warning

    Australians are being reminded to be responsible when drinking this summer especially given the mix of holidays, celebrations, hot weather and in many cases the beach, pool or some other body of water.

    While Australia’s alcohol consumption rates are declining, especially among the youth, older Australians are continuing to drink at high levels and put themselves at risk.

    We all know the immediate dangers of drinking too much, alcohol poisoning, risky behaviour etc. but what about the long term effects and risk of injuries.

    Cancer and heart disease are just 2 of the diseases linked to alcohol and particularly in Australia alcohol has been linked to drowning deaths.

    According to statistics around 40% of drownings in Australia can be linked to alcohol as we continue to mix alcohol and swimming.

  • Moderate Drinking the Drinks Buzzword for Generation Z

    According to reports, Australians are drinking less alcohol than they have at any time over the past 50 years because many are becoming more conscious of their health, fitness and well-being.

    This shift has prompted a re-think of the product development departments of major alcoholic beverages companies particularly given that millenials have become so accustomed to phrase “moderate drinking”.

    Read the article at https://www.afr.com/business/retail/fmcg/moderation-the-new-drinks-buzzword-in-generation-z-alcohol-consumption-20181002-h164qf

  • Brits Drinking at Home are Landing up in Hospital

    According to British newspaper, Mirror.co.uk more than 50 people daily are treated in hospital for alcohol related liver disease in The UK due to drinking at home.

    The alarming figures show that the number of patients in England has risen by 57 per cent over the past 12 years.

    According to the figures 20,751 people suffered the potentially deadly condition in the year to March 31,2017, which is up from 13,201 in the 2004/5 period.

    Data shows that one in three patients were women and more than 200 are under 30 years of age.

    The British Liver Trust has described the problem facing the country as a “liver disease epidemic” as more people are drinking cheap alcohol alone at home.

    See more at https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/stay-home-drinking-crisis-sending-13099755

  • Moderate Drinking May be Good for Your Heart

    A new study published in the journal BMC Medicine found that moderate drinking may lower risk of heart disease.

    The finding was more pronounced in people who consumed alcohol moderately in a consistent way, as compared to people who had unstable drinking patterns who were more likely to suffer coronary heart disease.

    The researchers examined data from 6 different studies including 5 out of Britain which examined people’s drinking patterns and their risk of developing coronary heart disease.

    Researchers collected data from more than 35,000 people and tracked them on average for 12,6 years.

    Read more about the findings at: https://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/drink/alcohol-study-moderate-drinking-may-help-heart-health-but-theres-a-catch-ng-b88936269z

  • Want to Enjoy Beer without Getting a Beer Belly? Read this!

    Many people avoid beer because of phrases like “beer belly” or “beer gut” but it actually is possible to drink beer without gaining weight, or more specifically expanding that waist line.

    According to the experts beer doesn’t contribute any more calorie input that any other food or beverage so knowing how many calories there are in your beer is the first step.

    As the experts explain if you drink beer moderately and have an otherwise healthy lifestyle, a couple of beers aren’t going to give you a beer belly but if you drink a dozen beers every night and don’t eat so well and don’t exercise, you probably will put on weight and beer isn’t the only thing to blame.

    Find out more about being a healthy beer drinker at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/drinking-beer-staying-healthy_us_5b6332e0e4b0b15abaa0dbe3

  • Don’t Drink and Drive or Ride!

    A warning for people who drink and drive or those who think they can get around the law by riding their horse instead of driving a car or motorbike while intoxicated.

    A 51 year old woman was recently arrested by police in Logan, south of Brisbane after allegedly riding her horse to a tavern while over the legal alcohol limit.

    Police were called to the tavern because the woman didn’t want to leave. When they arrived they found she was intoxicated and riding her horse through the drive-through.

    She was taken back to the station where she returned a blood alcohol reading of .226 per cent – more than 4 times the legal alcohol limit.

    Read more http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-05/woman-charged-riding-horse-four-times-over-legal-limit/9837188

  • Research Shows Why Detoxes and Cleanses Don’t Work

    According to a post on HuffingtonPost.com.au detoxes aren’t just ineffective, they can be dangerous.

    The article cited research by Alexandra Parker and Anna Debenham, accredited practicing dietitians, says that our bodies do a good job of detoxing themselves, so we don’t need to help our bodies out by giving up certain food and drink or taking specific foods or supplements for a fixed amount of time.

    Organs such as the kidneys, liver, lungs and gastrointestinal tract perform the purposes of detoxing the body naturally so we don’t actually need to do it ourselves.

    Detoxes and cleanses can actually do harm to the body. Instead of detoxing, experts suggest a healthy lifestyle, introducing more plant based foods, reducing junk foods and increasing exercise.

    Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/18/so-detoxes-or-cleanses-dont-work-heres-why/

  • Revisiting the Benefits of Moderate Drinking

    An article on Abc.net.au recently discussed the benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation, something that we have always advocated. While it’s true that excessive alcohol consumption can be extremely detrimental to your health both in the short and long term, moderate and responsible consumption can be good for your health and wellbeing.

    With a lot of people vilifying alcohol in the media these days because of a few who cannot control their drinking and go out and cause a menace, it is important that we know what the limits are and adhere to them, not only for our wellbeing but also for the safety of others.

    So what level of regular drinking is agreed to be harmful to our health?

    According to Australian guidelines, adults shouldn’t drink more than 2 standard drinks a day because this poses an “unacceptable” risk of lifetime harm.  According to an alcohol researcher, Professor Chikritzhs from the University of WA, these are some of the effects those who abuse alcohol have to look forward to,

    “For example, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, alcohol dependence and a range of cancers, including breast cancer, are all longer-term consequences of regular ongoing exposure to alcohol,” says Chikritzhs.

    Sticking to fewer than two standard drinks a day means your risk of such nasties over your lifetime is below one in 100.

    “One in 100 was selected because that’s the kind of benchmark by which we test water quality and other kinds of things. People often see that as an acceptable level of risk.”

    It’s drinking levels below two standard drinks a day where any protective effect against heart disease, diabetes and strokes come in (for those who believe it exists).

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2014/02/20/3948645.htm

    Some of the ways that alcohol is thought to impact the body in this positive way includes boosting levels of “good” fats in the blood, increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin and decreasing inflammation.

    Although Chikritzhs says that if your do not drink, you do not need to start drinking just so that you will live longer. For example if you suffer from heart disease and you’re a non-drinker, starting to drink alcohol won’t help you cure your heart problems.  Read more from Professor Chikritzhs http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2014/02/20/3948645.htm

    Some of the Benefits

    Research also shows that moderate consumption of alcohol can reduce the chance of having a stroke. For women who drank moderately research shows they are at a lower risk of developing high blood pressure.

    Experts have long advocated the consumption of beer and wine in moderation to enhance the flow of blood through the arteries and blood vessels and help reduce chances of a heart attack. An alcohol drinker will therefore be able to handle physical activities without the risk of sudden death even if there are blockages in certain parts of the cardiovascular system. Amazingly alcohol also discourages the development of gallstones. This is because the presence of alcohol in a person’s body reduces the tendency of cholesterol to accumulate in the bile.

    But just as beneficial as drinking in moderation can be, drinking in excess and binge drinking can have the adverse effect and be extremely dangerous to your health as well as place you in immediate danger. Stick to the rule of no more than 2 drinks a day and avoid drinking on a daily basis to protect your health and stay safe.

  • British Researcher Dispute Belief Moderate Pregnancy Drinking Harmful

    Women are always being told not to drink when they are pregnant and particularly in Australia there has been somewhat of a drive to educate women about the danger alcohol can pose to a developing foetus.

    That is why it seems strange that a British researcher now claims that there is no evidence to support abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy.

    According to an article on Irishtimes.com research published in the British Medical Journal’s BMJ Open online publication moderate drinking by pregnant women does not harm the development of unborn babies. This was deduced from research which evaluated around 7000 children up to the age 10. Moderate drinking for pregnant women is defined as no more than 3 to 7 glasses of alcohol a week.

    The article on Irishtimes.com goes on to explain:

    The children were drawn from a 14,000-strong group born in or around Bristol between 1992 and 1993, who have been examined frequently since birth as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

    The majority of their mothers – 70 per cent — followed regular medical advice and had drunk no alcohol during pregnancy. The remaining women drank between one and two glasses a week for some and three to seven for others. A glass is defined as a British pub measure of spirits, half a pint of lager or cider, or a standard wine glass of wine.

    The ability was tested of 7,000 10-year-olds to walk on a beam and stand on one leg, with eyes open and closed.

    Curiously, the women who had drunk during and after their pregnancies had the best performing children.

    Low to moderate alcohol consumption did not seem to interfere with a child’s ability to balance, say researchers. However, income plays a role: better static balance is linked to wealth and education.

    Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/moderate-drinking-not-harmful-in-pregnancy-according-to-british-researchers-1.1431164

    This study is just one on the subject, there are countless previous studies which prove that alcohol consumption, particularly excessive consumption can be seriously dangerous for the unborn, growing baby, with previous researchers claiming brain development can be heavily impacted by even a few drinks. Also it is hard to say how much alcohol is acceptable or how much it takes before the foetus is negatively affected.

    A recent article on News.com.au presented a very different view of pregnancy drinking. According to the article if children have memory impairment and struggle to follow instructions they may actually have an undiagnosed foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

    The article suggested that younger mothers in particular seem to placing their babies at risk by binge drinking during pregnancy. More education and awareness needs to be created around the situation, especially to mothers aged 18-29 and school girls as well.

    The article also states that young women that binge drink are in fact producing a new generation of school children that have problems such as learning disabilities, lack of judgement and social skills, poor attention spans and impulsive behaviour, all of which can be detrimental to their education.

    Read the full story at: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/foetal-alcohol-syndrome-linked-to-binge-drinking-by-mums/story-e6frfkp9-1226609211264#ixzz2PaI0xwXv

    So with 2 conflicting opinions from 2 seemingly qualified sources it may be difficult to figure out whether or not to drink while pregnant. Some would prefer to err on the side of caution and abstain completely when they are pregnant whereas others would prefer to take a chance. If you agree with the British research and do decide that drinking during pregnancy is acceptable remember it is never acceptable to binge drink but especially not when you are pregnant. Only drink in moderation and never more than 3-7 glasses of alcohol a week.