Everyone knows alcohol in excess is terrible for you.
Liver damage, general ailments and an increased risk for cancer all come from boozing. Though, one of the most visual effects of alcohol comes from the fact that it’s empty calories. It makes you gain tons of weight, and it is really just as bad for you as sugar.
There’s just no nutrition. Everyone knows beer has tons of calories, but what about other types of alcohol? While this is just a generalization, this alcohol calculator is a pretty good starting point for calorie counts.However, there are lots of unforeseen issues with alcohol, and most of the danger comes from actually being drunk and the harm you can do yourself then. This isn’t made to be a D.A.R.E. advertisement. Most people are aware of the danger of being drunk, like poor decision making. It’s just always a good idea to have a sober friend around to prevent terrible choices from being made.
Of course, there’s always that argument that alcohol is good for you. That comes with the knowledge that alcohol is “good” in moderation. The argument that it’s good for you stems largely from the fact that alcohol relaxes people. WIRED points out that after working all day and dealing with large amounts of stress, a glass of wine or beer helps to de-stress. Stress isn’t, by any means, good for the body either.
Besides the psychology of alcohol, there is more physical science behind its health benefits as well. Small amounts of alcohol increase the levels of “good cholesterol.” Red wine often takes the brunt of the “alcohol is healthy” movement.
This is likely due to the nature of its antioxidant content.But there’s always another counter-argument. When you drink, you’re likely to eat poorly and eat more than you normally would. If small amounts of alcohol are consumed, there will probably be fewer servings of fruit and vegetables, which are, obviously, good for your heart and a healthy weight.
Moral of the story: it’s hard to really determine if alcohol in moderation is healthy. Perhaps if you have two glasses of wine with a well-planned dinner, but that hardly happens. The struggle continues to be real… If only Amy Schumer could provide wisdom and a definite answer for our wine intake and our health.
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