Alcohol for health

Has anyone here started drinking alcohol for health? Noticed any benefits?

Reading the Wikipedia article I was surprised to see that it's associated with a reduced risk of all sorts of conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, gallstones, etc. This seems to apply not just to red wine, but to alcohol in general (in moderation obviously). Apparently it might raise HDL and improve insulin sensitivity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_alcohol

Maybe I'll start having a drink with dinner.

I remember reading somewhere some obscure study about alcoholics and it mentioned that there was a very low incidence of male pattern baldness among them. Makes sense perhaps, alcohol does raise SHBG and Estrogen doesn't it?

It could just be due to the happiness and stress-relief induced by alcohol. I think being in a positive emotional state has huge health benefits.

My grandfather has an extremely relaxed attitude toward life. He smoked and drank alcohol in moderation for decades. At 82 years old he's healthier than my dad (his son), who never touched cigarettes or alcohol but is an extremely stressed out person.

imprisoned-radical wrote:It could just be due to the happiness and stress-relief induced by alcohol. I think being in a positive emotional state has huge health benefits.

My grandfather has an extremely relaxed attitude toward life. He smoked and drank alcohol in moderation for decades. At 82 years old he's healthier than my dad (his son), who never touched cigarettes or alcohol but is an extremely stressed out person.

I always thought the correlation could be explained by the fact that laid back people drink moderately, but I've come across at least one randomized trial showing a positive effect.

Even then, it could just be the relaxing effect of alcohol, like you're saying. But still, if the effect is so strong, isn't that a good enough reason to use it, regardless of the mechanism?

i don;t think is that true i'll check it........

alcohol raises prolactin and i felt its effects on my hair next day after drinking...at that time i had high prolactin due to vitamin d deficiency and b12...

My thought about it is like actually many different things, depending on context - flora of the drinker. Stress relief is a good a point - for drinking in moderation, so are vasodilation benefits, antioxidant content. Social interactions that are usually part of the alcohol story are also mostly benefitial, but also this can be expand further. The source of alcohol is also a huge factor as not always alcohol is what is making benefits/harms. For example beer - gut destroyer due gluten, and silica refueler. There is huge difference on how one can look at it. Or red wine for its antioxidant content, etc...

On the other side, alcohol is fueling material for pathogens as giardia, candida and other yeasts, etc. Also it can be very hard on the liver, with vitamin B depletion, and charge carriers depletion. Thyroid is also affected long term. I guess moderation is key for some, elimination for another.

The contribution of endogenous and exogenous factors to male alopecia: a study of identical twins.

The contribution of endogenous and exogenous factors to male alopecia: a study of identical twins.


BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential contribution of environmental factors and testosterone on male alopecia.
METHODS:
Ninety-two identical male twins were recruited from 2009 to 2011. A comprehensive questionnaire was completed followed by the acquisition of sputum samples for testosterone analysis and standardized digital photography. Frontal, temporal, and vertex hair loss was assessed from these photographs. Hair loss was then correlated with survey responses and testosterone levels between twin pairs. Two independent, blinded observers also rated the photographs for hair thinning.
RESULTS:
Increased smoking duration (p < 0.001) and the presence of dandruff (p = 0.028) were significantly associated with increased frontal hair loss. Increased exercise duration (p = 0.002), consumption of more than four alcoholic drinks per week (p = 0.042), and increased money spent on hair loss products (p = 0.050) were all associated with increased temporal hair loss. Daily hat use (p = 0.050), higher body mass index (p = 0.012), and higher testosterone levels (p = 0.040) were associated with decreased temporal hair loss.

Factors that were significantly associated with increased vertex hair loss included abstinence from alcohol consumption (p = 0.030), consumption of more than four alcoholic drinks per week (p = 0.004), increased smoking duration (p = 0.047), increased exercise duration (p = 0.050), and increased stress duration (p = 0.010). Lower body mass index, more children, increased caffeine consumption, history of skin disease, and abstinence from alcohol were significantly associated with increased hair thinning scores (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
This study offers substantial evidence that exogenous factors may have a clinically significant impact on hair loss.