It turned out that, according to statistics, the health of people who drink small and moderate amounts of alcohol is usually better than those who do not drink at all, according to scientists from France in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Research results show that the impact of alcohol on improving health is not direct, it is mainly about relieving stress and higher physical activity and social status of occasional drinkers.
Boris Hansel and colleagues from Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris studied the alcohol consumption and health data of 149 people. The researchers divided the participants into four groups – total abstainers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers.
After analyzing the data, people who drink lightly or moderately are healthier than abstinent and heavy drinkers. Gentlemen who drank moderate amounts of alcohol had a reduced risk of heart disease and depression, were less stressed and had a lower body mass index, as well as better lungs and were more physically active. Similar observations were made in the group of women who drank moderate amounts of alcohol – statistically they had lower blood pressure and a smaller waist circumference.
Importantly, the results of the study showed that moderate alcohol consumption is a very good overall indicator of good social status, which most likely contributes to the good health of the respondents.
Scientists also noted that drinking alcohol significantly increases the concentration of high-density lipoproteins, the so-called HDL (cholesterol transporting and lowering cholesterol) in the blood serum. Nevertheless, in their opinion, the protective effect of alcohol and HDL on the circulatory system and the heart cannot be clearly demonstrated. (PAP)