The Tipping Point of Alcohol - Benefits in Low Quantities and Side Effects in Large Quantities

To start off these listed benefits are only true if you do what is called moderate drinking which means a drink a day if you are a woman or two drinks at most if you are man. Also, these drinks are usually consumed with food so generally a glass of wine is chosen. First of all moderate amounts of alcohol reduce stress simply because alcohol relaxes the blood vessels in your body. This happens because when it enters your body part of it mixes with your blood and reaches your heart which reduces the contraction strength.

The muscles for a very short time but your blood vessels will still stay relaxed for up to half an hour after this event. This is why many recent studies suggest it might actually protect the cardiovascular system to take a glass or two a day. On the negative side, while it might protect your cardiovascular system other studies from the American Cancer Society suggests that it also contributes to increased risk of cancer if you drink more than two glasses a day.

Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol

A study in 2003 at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine reveals that men who drink moderately, which is once again around two drinks a day, are less likely to die of clot related strokes because of how alcohol reduces blood clotting. However, you have a higher chance of having a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain since what helps solving one problem is exactly what another problem relies on. Another study reveals that men who drink five or more drinks a day might actually doubled the risk of rectal cancer.

As for women, they have a high risk of breast cancer if they take more than three drinks a week although this last piece of information is currently being challenged by other studies. As you can see, the key is moderate drinking because below a certain threshold there are some benefits but above the same threshold there can be many negative side effects. So make sure that you keep your drinking at two glasses a day or under if you don't want to risk any unnecessary side effects of drinking alcohol.