Does alcohol lower cholesterol?

Let me get straight to the point. Cholesterol and alcohol are not and never will be friends. Drinking alcohol has many drawbacks, one of which is that alcohol has a cholesterol-increasing function. Drinking alcohol increases your bad cholesterol levels. There are many "tidbits" to read on the internet and not everything you can read is true. Alcohol only increases your cholesterol after consuming more than 2 glasses a day.
Let me get straight to the point. Cholesterol and alcohol are not and never will be friends. Drinking alcohol has many drawbacks, one of which is that alcohol has a cholesterol-increasing function. Drinking alcohol increases your bad cholesterol. There are many "tidbits" to read on the internet and not everything you can read is true. Alcohol only increases your cholesterol after consuming more than 2 glasses a day.

Research has shown that if you occasionally drink alcohol (no more than 2 glasses) you get more of the good (HDL) cholesterol in your body than if you never drink alcohol . However, you cannot conclude from this that alcohol increases your HDL unlimitedly, because the positive effect stops if you drink more than 2 glasses a day. So if you have high cholesterol, drinking an alcohol-containing drink every now and then is not bad. But remember, "Drink in moderation."
Research has shown that if you occasionally drink alcohol (no more than 2 glasses) you get more of the good (HDL) cholesterol in your body than if you never drink alcohol . However, you cannot conclude from this that alcohol increases your HDL unlimitedly, because the positive effect stops if you drink more than 2 glasses a day. So if you have high cholesterol, drinking an alcohol-containing drink now and then is not bad. But remember, "Drink in moderation."

Disadvantages of alcohol

Besides the fact that alcohol has temporary disadvantages (narcotic effect, overconfidence), it has many negative side effects, especially in the long term. The risk of cancer in the mouth, throat and esophagus is very high with excessive use. Brain damage and liver problems are other drawbacks.

If you drink more than two glasses of alcohol per day as a man or more than 1 glass of alcoholic drink as a woman, alcohol can also have a bad effect on your health. For example, there is a correlation between cancers around the head and neck in people who regularly drink alcohol. Especially if you also smoke with it, the risk of cancer around the neck is higher.

Some doctors even recommend that you stop drinking alcoholic beverages altogether if breast cancer and other cancers around the neck and head run in families. However, if you have a family with cardiovascular disease, drinking alcohol in moderation (!) Can actually help.

If you drink a lot, so more than two glasses of alcohol a day, there are other risks such as liver disease. For example, you can get scar tissue in your liver that prevents it from doing its job properly. This is also called cirrhosis.

In addition, too much alcohol can also cause high blood pressure. Which can make you have heart attacks, arrhythmias and even a stroke again.

Alcohol is also full of calories that are directly stored as fat. As a result, you can become overweight with all the associated disadvantages due to too much drinking. In addition, after a load of drink you often feel like a 'greasy bite' which reinforces your unhealthy behavior.

Not only are the disadvantages forbidden to alcohol consumption. Research has shown that especially elderly people (70+) even have benefits when they drink alcohol. Harvard University tested health on 14,000 women. One half drank a glass now and then, the other half did not drink alcohol. The study found that the group of women who occasionally drink alcohol have better health later in life. The chance of better health in old age is even twice as high when one drinks an alcoholic drink 4 to 6 days a week. I do have to say that the research is based on an alcohol consumption of no more than 2 glasses per day.

Important addition: Of course the above results raise the necessary question marks, and therefore scientists do not dare to "blame" alcohol for better health. It is thought that especially moderate alcohol consumption in combination with a healthy lifestyle (nutrition, sports, stress, etc.) has positive effects in later life.
Important addition: Of course the above results raise the necessary question marks, and that is why scientists do not dare to "blame" alcohol for better health. It is thought that especially moderate alcohol consumption in combination with a healthy lifestyle (nutrition, sports, stress, etc.) has positive effects in later life.

Also, Japanese research shows that people with a good social life had better health than people without while drinking the same amount. That's why they thought that a few glasses at a party is better for you than a few glasses in front of the television at home.

It also appears that not every type of drink has the same advantages. For example, red wine is better for you than beer.

It is not advisable to drink a lot of alcohol if you have high LDL cholesterol levels. Consuming an alcoholic drink now and then can have positive effects. Try to only drink alcohol on weekends and never more than 2 glasses a day. Beer is high in calories, so a glass of red wine may be the best solution for some people!

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If you have difficulty reducing alcohol, it is wise to discuss this with your doctor. When you have to stop drinking alcohol on your own, this is very difficult. You can't just throw these routines out of your life from one day to the next.

Always try to enlist the help of your friends or family. Because together you are always stronger!

Cholesterol and alcohol are a good combination in some cases, but not in most cases. This is because alcohol is usually drunk more than recommended and therefore you do not have all the health benefits. If you want to increase your HDL cholesterol it is best to stick to 1 glass of wine per drinking occasion.

If you drink more you run the risk of higher cholesterol due to indirect causes such as the desire to eat fat after consuming a drink. In addition, too much alcohol also increases the risk of throat cancer, obesity and high blood pressure.

If you want to cut back on drinking, it is wise to ask for help from a professional because of the physical withdrawal symptoms.

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