| High Blood Pressure |
Alcohol does not directly reduce blood pressure. Some experts believe that wine is OK for you, because it can relieve stress, which can reduce high blood pressure. You should avoid hard liquors if you have high blood pressure. Drinking too much comes with its own risks, like increasing your blood pressure, triglycerides and risk of stroke, causing depression, and adding unwanted calories to your diet.
Men with high blood pressure should not have more than two drinks per day, with a couple of alcohol-free days per week, while women with high blood pressure should not consume for than one drink per day, with the same number of alcohol-free days as men. A drink is as 5 ounces of wine.
All alcoholic drinks are not created equal. Wine can provide additional benefits because wine contains phytochemicals, which include antioxidants and flavonoids, which appear to reduce the risk of heart disease. Red wine has shown to have the most positive effects of any alcohol.
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| melsQuiz answer |
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| melsBuzz |
- If you haven’t started drinking alcohol in moderation, don’t start. You are much better off focusing on your diet and exercising than trying to consume alcohol to reduce your blood pressure. The risks do not justify the benefits.
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| melsAdvice |
- Drink occasionally. I’m not a big fan of empty calories.
- Whatever you drink, enjoy it. Savor the taste of a good glass of wine, marvel at the flavors in a mixed drink, or admire the smell, look, and flavor of an artesian beer
- If you drink socially, replace alcohol with a sparkling water with lemon or limes
- Drinking always goes better with good food. Stay away from sugary or salty snacks
- If you are going to consume alcohol, make sure that you are eating a balanced diet
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| DidYouKnow? |
- Alcohol is addicting and because more than 1 or 2 drinks per day can cause serious medical problems (including heart failure), the American Heart Association recommends that doctors not encourage their patients to resort to alcohol to improve their cardiovascular risk.
- Alcohol can contribute to diabetes
- Binge drinking can dramatically increase your blood pressure and the risk of stroke
- In several research studies, moderate drinking led to an increase of your good cholesterol by approximately 5.1 mg/dL
- Approximately 30% of adults in America believe moderate drinking can be part of a healthy, balanced life
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| melsTips |
- You need to truly understand how alcohol affects your body before using it to reduce your high blood pressure
- Although the nutritional value of alcoholic drinks varies, alcohol contains no fat, no cholesterol and very little sodium. Read labels.
- If you must drink, pick a drink that relaxes you
- Whatever you are drinking, try to make it complementary to what you are eating. Both will taste more satisfying
- If you must drink, drink slowly and enjoy it
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| melsQuiz |
- What is the “French Paradox�?
- Since drinking in moderation increases your good cholesterol, how does this really help our body?
- According to a majority of research studies, does drinking alcohol contribute to weight gain?
- Does drinking alcohol in moderation destroy brain cells?
- Name three reasons why wine is better than beer or hard alcohol.
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| melsQuiz Answers |
- The French eat rich, fatty foods and significantly consume more red wine than Americans, but the French death rate from heart disease is about half of what it is in America
- Good cholesterol helps clear (not significantly) excess cholesterol from our arteries
- No. There is no direct correlation. The reason is unclear. Studies suggest that alcohol increases your metabolic rate (causing calories to burn faster) and decreases your urge for sugar-laden products. However, other studies show that alcohol increases your appetite for calorie-dense foods
- No
- Wine has phytochemicals, which include antioxidants and flavonoids. Most beers and hard liquors do not
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