Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol

The benefits of alcohol consumption have long been known. The Bible refers to alcohol's medicinal properties no less than 191 times. Alcohol is beneficial in controlling the following conditions: hypertension or high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, angina pectoris, liver disease, hepatitis A, pancreatic cancer, duodenal ulcer, gallstones, kidney stones, digestive ailments, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, bone fractures, hearing loss, macular degeneration, poor cognition and memory, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stress and depression, and erectile dysfunction.

Even more significantly, innumerable studies have proven beyond any doubt that alcohol consumption leads to a decrease in the rate of heart attacks and strokes. The results of studies conducted on hundreds of thousands of men and women from several countries and continents have consistently shown that alcohol consumption reduces death from heart disease and a host of other ailments.

Huh?!! So why does alcohol consumption keep getting such bad press?

Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol

Well, it's not the alcohol that's to blame, but the consumer of it. For these beneficial effects to take effect, the key is for the alcohol to be taken in MODERATE doses.

Ahhh!! There's the rub.

Alcohol consumption has wondrous effects if, and only if, the consumption is MODERATE. Listen to just a minuscule portion of the findings.

* The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that moderate drinkers have the greatest longevity. Moderate drinking results in a sharp decrease in heart disease risk (40%-60%). (This is a pretty major effect considering that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States, responsible for one million deaths in America each year.)

* A study of 12,000 male physicians done in the U.K. over a 13-year period found that moderate drinkers had the lowest risk of death from ALL causes.

* The Italians did a study of 1,536 men aged 45 to 65. The study found that the moderate drinkers among them gained about 2 years of life compared to occasional and heavy drinkers.

* China also did a large-scale study of middle aged men. It too found that those who drank moderately had a nearly 20% lower mortality rate compared to men who abstained from drink.

The studies are not confined to male subjects. Alcohol does not discriminate between the sexes.

* The Harvard Nurses study of over 85,000 women reported reduced mortality among the moderate drinkers.

* Harvard researchers did a study of over 5,000 women with type 2 diabetes. The moderate drinkers among them had significantly lower heart disease rates than those who didn't drink. In fact, the women who drank about half a glass of alcohol a day reduced their risk from coronary heart disease by more than half.

And the list goes on. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism did an extensive review of recent research from over 20 countries and the findings were quite consistent. Moderate drinkers live longer than those who either abstain from alcohol or who drink heavily. This is largely due to a decrease in diseases such as coronary heart disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. Moderate drinkers enjoy better health than abstainers or heavy drinkers. It's been found that abstainers have double the risk of stroke as moderate drinkers.

Okay. So what's considered moderate drinking?

Different countries have different standards. But generally, for non-pregnant women, it's one to two drinks a day, for men it's two to three drinks.

Now, what constitutes a drink?

A medium glass of wine, a can of beer or a .5 ounce shot of whiskey or other spirit generally have the same amount of pure alcohol in them and would be considered as a drink or one alcoholic unit.

Many of the beneficial effects of moderate drinking reverse if a person drinks too much. The amount is a key factor but so is consistency and regularity. Five drinks in one night do not equal - and produce a totally opposite effect from - five drinks spread out over five nights.

So take heed. Moderation and consistency are key to getting the health benefits that alcohol offers.

Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol

E. Avila has been writing articles for 30 years. Her experience with substance abuse in her life and the lives of loved ones around her and her victory over the sickness has made helping others overcome substance abuse an advocacy. If you would like to free yourself from a dependence on alcohol or just decrease your drinking to safer levels, visit http://drinkingsensibly.blogspot.com/ .

Christians Drinking Alcohol? What Scripture Has To Say

Tea-totaling Texans? Them's fightin' words!

I live in a small Texas town which is probably not all that different
from a small town anywhere else. At one time, as the town was growing,
much was being reported by the local media and debated at city council
meetings regarding liquor licensing. Whenever these types of issues are
discussed, some self-appointed Christian representatives will speak up,
supposedly on behalf of all the rest of us, and heatedly expound upon the
awful vice of drinking alcohol and what a demon-magnet that can be.

I recently said to a young lady who told me her church didn't allow
her to go anywhere where drinking took place, "You'd better leave
the state of Texas...and stop attending professional baseball games
while you're at it." I may as well have said, "Mother Teresa, you'd
better leave Calcutta! There are lepers all over the place!" If the light
of the world (you and me, according to Jesus) leaves the darkness, the
darkness remains dark. My question to Christians everywhere,
whenever we're confronted with a "sinful" act or attitude that we don't
appreciate, is this: "When is the right time for casting that stone?"

Christians Drinking Alcohol? What Scripture Has To Say

THE TRUTH HURTS. KNOWING IT WILL SET US FREE

Several years ago, a downcast young lady approached me at my secular
job, asking if I'd officiate her wedding. It seems that she and her mate -
apparently her husband - let it leak that they'd never had a traditional
wedding and had been cohabitating for about 2 years. They had a nice
home, all debts were combined, and they held good jobs. In their eyes,
they were married and moving along as a couple, facing the business
of life. One night, the couple received a surprise visit from their church
leaders, were reprimanded and told they should stop "shacking up."

Now, before we go any further, I'm not condoning that couples should
live with each other outside of wedlock, nor am I condemning those
who do. It is NOT recommended because, statistically, those who DO
live together before marriage have a much higher incidence of divorce
(let's forget the fact that 50% of all Christian marriages are ending in
divorce anyway AND that, in anonymous surveys, nearly 50% of
Christians admit to having had premarital sex).

Question for these church leaders: Before we point another accusing
finger at a Christian couple, can we talk about YOUR sins? Doubt,
unbelief, overeating, rage, criticism, gossip, plus the fact that nearly
half of all ministers surveyed admit to viewing porn regularly not to
mention substance abuses and adultery...all are equal in the eyes of
God and required the sending of His only begotten Son to become
our Savior.

Incidentally, I agreed to take this couple through 6 weeks of pre-marital
counseling and officiated their lovely wedding. Later, they had a baby
together. They have since moved on to become part of a different
congregation. That was 4 years ago and they're doing great.

You see, we can cast stones at those who drink alcohol - or those who
do anything else that "WE" might consider to be wrong - all we want to.
Who will be brow-beating us as we stuff our chubby cheeks? Who will
judge us using the same measure with which they are judged themselves?

The standard is Jesus, friends. Not the unholy trinity of Me, Myself and I.

WHAT THE GOOD BOOK SAYS

I contend that we should funnel everything through Scripture, preferably,
through the teachings of Christ, allowing the many verses on a
particular subject to define the one proof text, instead of requiring the
one proof text to trump the many. Personally, I can't help but believe
that all the oats, hops, barley and other grains used to produce alcohol
could be put to better use feeding the hungry of planet earth. I wish it
were. Maybe that will take place on the day that all swords will be
beaten into plow sheers.

Speaking of beatings, when we focus upon wine, the fruit of the vine
takes a severe thrashing itself within Christian circles, everyone trying
to justify their viewpoint. In the Old Testament, God's Law allowed
yayin (wine) and shekar (strong drink) to be purchased with the Tithe
of Rejoicing and to be drunk before the Lord. "You shall spend that
money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or
strong drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before
the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household,"
(Deut. 14:26).

In the New Testament, all recorded prohibitions to drinking wine seem
to refer to either (A) immoderate consumption or (B) to abusers: "Be not
drunk with wine" (Eph. 5:18). "Do not be with heavy drinkers"
(Prov. 23:20). "Do not be addicted to wine" (I Tim. 3:8; Tit.2:3).
"Do not linger long over wine" (Prov. 23:30).

Some say, "But we love the sinners and hate the sin." Sadly, even when
this is true, it doesn't come across that way and, after all, perception is
reality. Besides, where is it written that drinking is a sin? Now, I
haven't had a beer since I was 19 when I drank six straight after working
at a construction site in El Paso. That doesn't make me any better than
anybody else; my convictions are just that: mine.

Wine? My Italian family sipped it often but never to excess and its been
about 10 years since I had a glass of Chianti with my spaghetti. Still, I
don't expect my convictions to be anyone else's. When I'm sick, I don't
care if the Apostle Paul DID instruct Timothy (1 Tim 5:23) to, "Stop
drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and
your frequent illnesses."

Sorry, Paul, but I'll take Pepto-Bismal, thank you. That's my choice.

Seriously, when all is said and done, I can't help but feel that we
Christians must distinguish the use of these beverages from their abuse.
Sometimes in Scripture, gluttonous eating is paralleled with immoderate
drinking of wine (Deut. 21:20; Prov. 23:21). But we can find nowhere
in the Bible where eating food is prohibited, thank you, Jesus!

At other times in Scripture, sexual perversion is paralleled with
drunkenness (Rom 13:13; I Pet 4:3). Yet, if ALL sexual activity were
condemned, well...you and I wouldn't be here.

Wealth often becomes a snare to many as well (I Tim. 6:9-11), but the
Scriptures do not make a blanket decree against its pursuit (Job 42:10-17).
Let's see a Word of Faith evangelist preach AGAINST the acquisition of
money! That will be a cold day on Padre island. Bottom line is that each of
these factors in life is intended by God to be a blessing for us, when used
according to the ways that HE intended.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER: JESUS WOULD DRINK TO THAT!

To the surprise of many, it would seem abundantly clear that the
Scriptures DO allow for the moderate partaking of alcoholic beverages -
wine, beer, bourbon or whiskey. By the way, I've had many friends in
ministry who hail from England and Germany. I love watching my
American Christian friends as they "get their knickers in a twist" when
these awesome European Christians visit the states and order a brew
with their Tex-Mex or wine with their poultry. The Scriptures pull no
punches in commending wine, nor do they reflect any embarrassment
when illustrating stories that involve its consumption in Biblical days.
Wine is set before the saints as blessing and gladness (Deut 14:26;
Ps.104:14-15), even though it may be, to the immoderate and wicked,
a mocker and curse (Prov. 20:1; 23:29). It would seem to me that all
the self-righteous finger-pointing we engage ourselves in today does
very little in the way of making the non-Christian jealous for what we
say we've found in Christ, the One who turned the water into wine, His
first miracle. Despite all the sincerity of well-meaning Christians
regarding this issue, every time we point a finger, there are four more
pointed right back at us. These fingers are those of the Spirit in operation -
the Spirit of the Pharisees.

The Great Commission, set forth by the Greatest Teacher, Jesus Christ,
was to go and make disciples. As followers of Christ, are we teaching
those who are watching us to condemn and even detest those who are

not like us, or are we teaching them to love everybody without condition,
planting all the seeds of grace necessary to make our faith attractive
enough so that they will want run to Jesus at their own proper moment
of harvest?

After all, He loves ALL of us, despite the deplorable things we harbor
deep within the dark recesses of our hearts.

In fact, He loved us to DEATH!

Every blessing!
Michael Tummillo
http://www.YourTown4Jesus.com (NEW Website!)

Christians Drinking Alcohol? What Scripture Has To Say

Michael's mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since 1999, he has broadcast over 300 hundred inspirational articles and a dozen booklets on subjects that will interest the thinking Christian, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God's people. Hel is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as "Your Town for Jesus" are reaching millions around the globe WEEKLY. Write team1min@aol.com if you'd like to SUBSCRIBE. A licensed/ordained minister, a Certified Workplace Chaplain, and a Professional Member of NIBIC, he has ministered in Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, College and Cowboy churches. He is also a Speaker on the Christian Speaker Network and may be available to speak to your church or Christian group.

Can Alcohol Affect Male Fertility - The Truth Revealed

There is little doubt that alcohol affects male fertility negatively. The more pertinent question is : how much alcohol is too much to threaten fertility and what damage to fertility will too much alcohol cause?

So how much is too much? Studies have shown that drinking more than four ounces of alcohol a day is bad for your reproductive system. As an example, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine contains about half an ounce of alcohol. Alcohol concentration depends largely on the kind of drink that is consumed but taking beer as a guide, 8 bottles of beer a day will give you 4 ounces of alcohol content. This is certainly going to do harm to your fertility.

Here's how alcohol actually affects male fertility :-

Can Alcohol Affect Male Fertility - The Truth Revealed

1. Alcoholism (excessive consumption of alcohol) raises the estrogen level in men. This will in turn interfere with his hormones and sperm development. Why? Because alcohol is a toxin that tends to kill sperm generating cells in men. Worse still, chronic alcoholism can cause atrophy in the testicles, gynecomastia and the lack of sexual interest.

2. Excessive alcohol consumption causes a disorder in the gonads resulting in changes in the structure of the testicles and decline in the T serum level. A drop in the is T serum level can cause male infertility.

3. The toxicity of excessive alcohol can reduce sperm density or sperm count. Typically the volume of a single ejaculate is 3 milliliters (sometimes reaching six milliliter per ejaculate) with 120 million sperm cells per ml. But alcohol can cause a drastic reduction in these figures. In addition, alcohol can result in abnormalities in sperm size, shape and the sperm tail. Sperm motility can also be affected negatively.

4. Excessive alcohol alters the regular oval head and a straight tail of the healthy sperm cell. This change in sperm shape can seriously compromise the viability of the spermatozoa. Also, chronic alcoholism damages the sperm morphology that often has irreversible effects.

(Note: Drinking too much alcohol can also cause impotence and liver damage)

If in doubt, do a semen analysis test to determine the state of your fertility. Sperms normally take about three months to develop. So if you want to have your sperm analyzed, you must abstain from sexual activity during this period to get a clearer and more reliable reading regarding the health and the condition of the sperm that is produced.

You don't always have to see a Urologist if you want to do semen analysis. You can save yourself a lot of money by using a laboatory technician instead. Another option is to use a semen analysis test kit which can do the job for you in the privacy of your home. You can get a good, basic information about the health of your semen and sperm.

Just like in men, alcoholism also can also affect the reproductive health of mothers too. Some of the causes are : ovarian dysfunction, amenorrhea, anovulation, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia etc.

To conclude, if you are serious about getting a baby, then curbing your drinking habit is an important consideration.

Can Alcohol Affect Male Fertility - The Truth Revealed

Gary Toh is the owner of Ultmale.com, a site dedicated to male fertility treatment. Get free articles, tips and tricks on the related male enhancement blog

Alcohol and Diets - How Does Drinking Affect Your Diet?

So you've committed to making the lifestyle change and have changed your eating habits for the long term. Or maybe your going on a short diet to shed a few extra pounds because spring and summer is on the way and you want to see if that swimsuit from last year still fits. But you also enjoy a drink or two with friends and neighbors. How will drinking affect your diet plans? Here are a few key point to remember when mixing alcohol and diets.

Since you're going to have an alcoholic drink, ORDER A DISTILLED PRODUCT like vodka, gin, or whiskey on the rocks or with a diet soda mix, a low-carb beer, or a glass of dry red or white wine. If you are on a low-carb diet, any alcoholic beverage with less than 7 carbohydrates per serving is considered low-carb, and remember that one serving of alcohol is 12 ounces of beer (not a six pack!), 5 ounces of wine (that's the small glass, not the goblet), or 1.5 ounces of a distilled spirit (that's definitely much smaller than my typical serving size!).

If you're going to have a couple of drinks, START WITH A GLASS OF WATER. Actually, don't stop there. Have more water between drinks but remember, the USDA recommends no more than one serving of alcoholic drink per day for women and two drinks maximum per day for men. Alcohol tends to dehydrate people - one of the reasons why you have the hangover in the morning - so drinking plenty of water before, during and after your one or two drinks will help keep you hydrated.

Alcohol and Diets - How Does Drinking Affect Your Diet?

If you're drinking wine and know the carbohydrate count for the brand, CONSIDER A WINE SPRITZER. Mix 2.5 ounces of wine with an equal amount of seltzer or soda water and garnish with a thin slice of lemon or lime. Now you can enjoy two drinks for the carb count of a single serving of wine!

Now here's where we really get into how alcohol affects your diet. There is a fuel hierarchy that your body uses for energy sources. ALCOHOL COMES FIRST IN THE FUEL HIERARCHY, followed by fat, protein, and then carbohydrates. WHEN YOU DRINK, YOU STOP THE WEIGHT-LOSS PROCESS. Sorry, but it is true. Your body needs between 1 and 2 hours to burn off a serving of beer, wine, or distilled spirits. Once the alcohol has been processed, your body will revert back to utilizing fat, protein, and carbohydrates for energy. Simply put, THE MORE YOU DRINK AND THE MORE OFTEN YOU DRINK, THE SLOWER YOUR WEIGHT LOSS.

Which means if you're working hard all week with your diet and exercise routine, eating right and taking your nutritional supplements, but then party like mad on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights then you are at best, just maintaining your weight. If you're not in the diet and exercise routine during the week, but still partying, then you're probably gaining weight due to the empty alcoholic calories. Moderation is the key.

Alcohol and Diets - How Does Drinking Affect Your Diet?

Ron Godlewski has written many articles on health, wellness, and maintaining vitality as we manage our weight through lifestyle diets. You can obtain more information on the importance of vitamin supplements while dieting [http://www.anfas.org/], receive a FREE quart of Body Balance or call him toll free at 1-888-LFI-CUST (1-888-534-2878).

Alcohol and Diets - How Does Drinking Affect Your Diet?

So you've committed to making the lifestyle change and have changed your eating habits for the long term. Or maybe your going on a short diet to shed a few extra pounds because spring and summer is on the way and you want to see if that swimsuit from last year still fits. But you also enjoy a drink or two with friends and neighbors. How will drinking affect your diet plans? Here are a few key point to remember when mixing alcohol and diets.

Since you're going to have an alcoholic drink, ORDER A DISTILLED PRODUCT like vodka, gin, or whiskey on the rocks or with a diet soda mix, a low-carb beer, or a glass of dry red or white wine. If you are on a low-carb diet, any alcoholic beverage with less than 7 carbohydrates per serving is considered low-carb, and remember that one serving of alcohol is 12 ounces of beer (not a six pack!), 5 ounces of wine (that's the small glass, not the goblet), or 1.5 ounces of a distilled spirit (that's definitely much smaller than my typical serving size!).

If you're going to have a couple of drinks, START WITH A GLASS OF WATER. Actually, don't stop there. Have more water between drinks but remember, the USDA recommends no more than one serving of alcoholic drink per day for women and two drinks maximum per day for men. Alcohol tends to dehydrate people - one of the reasons why you have the hangover in the morning - so drinking plenty of water before, during and after your one or two drinks will help keep you hydrated.

Alcohol and Diets - How Does Drinking Affect Your Diet?

If you're drinking wine and know the carbohydrate count for the brand, CONSIDER A WINE SPRITZER. Mix 2.5 ounces of wine with an equal amount of seltzer or soda water and garnish with a thin slice of lemon or lime. Now you can enjoy two drinks for the carb count of a single serving of wine!

Now here's where we really get into how alcohol affects your diet. There is a fuel hierarchy that your body uses for energy sources. ALCOHOL COMES FIRST IN THE FUEL HIERARCHY, followed by fat, protein, and then carbohydrates. WHEN YOU DRINK, YOU STOP THE WEIGHT-LOSS PROCESS. Sorry, but it is true. Your body needs between 1 and 2 hours to burn off a serving of beer, wine, or distilled spirits. Once the alcohol has been processed, your body will revert back to utilizing fat, protein, and carbohydrates for energy. Simply put, THE MORE YOU DRINK AND THE MORE OFTEN YOU DRINK, THE SLOWER YOUR WEIGHT LOSS.

Which means if you're working hard all week with your diet and exercise routine, eating right and taking your nutritional supplements, but then party like mad on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights then you are at best, just maintaining your weight. If you're not in the diet and exercise routine during the week, but still partying, then you're probably gaining weight due to the empty alcoholic calories. Moderation is the key.

Alcohol and Diets - How Does Drinking Affect Your Diet?

Ron Godlewski has written many articles on health, wellness, and maintaining vitality as we manage our weight through lifestyle diets. You can obtain more information on the importance of vitamin supplements while dieting [http://www.anfas.org/], receive a FREE quart of Body Balance or call him toll free at 1-888-LFI-CUST (1-888-534-2878).