Alcohol does not directly reduce blood pressure or lower cholesterol to improve your heart.  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.

There have been several studies that suggest that moderate drinking is good for your heart, because it can raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and reduce plaque accumulation in your arteries, as well as having a mild anti-coagulating effect – keeping blood platelets from forming together to create blood clouts.  Like all studies, everything is questionable.  At melslife, we always side with living your life in balance or moderation.

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.