Off to my favourite folk music festival this weekend, and there is always a good selection of cask conditioned local ciders and perrys from Suffolk and Norfolk… looking forward to it… and as we know Suffolk has been and continues to be a big cider and to a lesser extent perry county with its wassailing tradition … I guess the most well known and probably largest is Aspall, even though the owner sold the business I believe to Molson Coors as there was no interest from his family to continue the business.. so I was told…
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Actually the data point about alcohol ameliorating heart disease has been refuted with later studies. In fact alcohol consumption is linked to heart disease.
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Well I will check with my brother when I next speak to him who is a senior NHS consultant on related matters, so if it’s changed very recently then fair enough, but otherwise I will stand by a professional position.. the point is you can’t refer to alcohol in isolation, it’s the hydrocarbons and chemicals it’s mixed with in certain drinks. Small amounts of whisky is not the same as small amounts of red wine…..
I’m not surprised you mentioned it b/c we were told that for decades. Modern studies have revealed a different story. And I’m someone who has heart disease on both sides of the family and thought having red wine with my dinner was insulating me from heart disease. My lipid scores improved dramatically after I quit drinking.
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Sure, there can be many reasons, you might have genetic responses to certain food stuffs.
My other brother is a senior chemical engineer for a major international food and drink production company, and one of the developments they are working on is personalised foods that respond appropriately to the genetic of the consumer.. fascinating stuff. But the key thing, for many things we respond all slightly differently based on our genetics.
BTW I am glad your health has improved.
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Reduced brain size and impairment.
Thanks, Simon. Genetic synced food is interesting. Brave new world. Unfortunately with alcohol it’s not just the heart disease, it’s the diabetes/fatty liver, and cancer. And the sleep disruption alone has pretty serious consequences after 50. For me it was pretty easy to quit b/c I wasn’t enjoying it after 50. I miss my fine wines but I don’t miss the feeling I had a half hour after consuming it.
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Thanks, I haven’t heard of this sleep disruption before, or post consumption issues, other than say a hangover.
If you don’t mind me asking were you experiencing this with a single glass of wine, say 25 cl ? Or was it after more significant consumption?
Alcohol which is essentially sugar disrupts your sleep. Assuming you’re consuming in the evening. The result is fragmented sleep, and you spend less time in REM sleep .
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Ok thanks, but alcohol, or more accurately ethanol, is not a sugar, and your liver does not metabolise ethanol to create sugar.. it creates acetate via acetaldehyde which is carcinogenic and toxic, but this acetaldehyde is quickly broken down into acetate which is further broken down into water and carbon dioxide. Edit I have just read there are some minor metabolism pathways other than the liver when you consume significant alcohol/ethanol. I also have read that the metabolism enzymes vary genetically, which is perhaps why people respond slightly differently when they metabolise ethanol.
I wonder if you are referring to some of the chemicals and sugars in certain alcoholic drinks?
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I’m referring to blood glucose levels which elevate after consuming alcoholic beverages.
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I understand that although official UK guidelines remain at a 14 unit per week maximum, the latest medical research is pretty conclusive that alcohol is bad for you in many ways, including being a cancer risk - unlike tge old days when doctors recommended a glass of red wine a day as being good for you!
In my case I drink quite frequently, though not excessively. Maybe I was fortunate in having a lower threshold triggering vomiting than most of my peers so that even in my teens and twenties I learned to stop drinking before them. The last time time i drank enough to be sick was at least 30 years ago, and then rare, while and I haven’t drunk enough to have a hangover for at least 20 years. When the 21 unit per week guidance came in it was about my norm, which I reduced close to the 14 maximum when it was lowered, albeit that on odd occasions I might drink closer to 21. Sometimes I go without for a few weeks at a time such as when travelling somewhere where not practicable, and otherwise for some years now I have mostly limited alcohol to weekends.
I have to say that I very much enjoy the taste of a nice hoppy but light IPA style real ale, or a decent wine, mostly red, or a G&T being selective about the gin, or a malt whisky, highland/island in particular, or a refreshing spritz or cocktail when somewhere hot. No alcohol-free ale or wine I’ve tasted has been worth bothering with - I’d rather have water or tea.
I’ve never smoked, nor taken any other recreational drugs.
I’ve never really been a drinker. Last time I had an appointment with my GP, he asked if I was a drinker. I can’t remember the last time I had an alcoholic drink. My mobility is very poor now and visits to the pub with friends are a thing of the past. I was never one for drinking in the house. I stopped smoking nine years ago, although I took up vaping as a substitute. So I’m now off tobacco and alcohol but I still enjoy vaping.
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Currently in Bangladesh ( for work, not a holiday), so alcohol is in very limited supply here. It is an intresting 3 weeks. Sleep is certainly better without the beer. No idea about weight. Do feel better, but miss that couple after work to shoot the sh1t with the team here.
Indeed it is.
But put in context there are many things that are bad for you in excess and to some extent in moderation. Many UPFs are the latest medical research health concern .. though although some in the academic field have maintained this for over forty years… only now there is increasing medical evidence of the issue.
However the occasional drink of wine or low alcohol beer, the occasional hamburger on the BBQ, the smoking of a cigar with the arrival of a new baby… are all part of life’s little pleasures or traditions for many… which in them selves can be positive for mental health.. so it’s a balance of risks.
I maintain when you start do things regularly and/or to excess then many things can or do become dangerous.
But for those who,wish to abstain completely, then it is fine… and indeed is is usually going to be beneficial, and for some that will lead to more positive life benefits than others… but I put it in a context.
Then there is the concern that certain UPFs, nicotine, and alcohol/ethanol become addictive, which can make it hard for some people to regulate or moderate, causing increased health risks/damage..
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Just an interesting fact: Some residents of Tokunoshima, an island in Japan with a high concentration of centenarians, attribute their long lives to drinking shochu, which is a Japanese distilled spirit, similar to brandy and vodka.
I would never and never give up drinking, life is no joy with no drinking. My dad drinks wine at every meal, up to 1/2 bottle of wine during each meal, and he is now over 103 years old.
However, best wishes to those who have decided to give up alcohol for whatever reason.
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There are positive aspects based around well-being for drinking lower alcohol drinks such as 3-4% beers in moderation.
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I stoped buying beer and brewing my own. Does that count?
Though in my defence I have halved my consumption to manage my weight. But I do enjoy a nice ale whilst avoiding the big binges of my younger years.
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It reminds when I was a teenager, on holidays in Poland, near a lake.
A couple of Polish were enjoying the walk with their baby. The guy took a bottle of beer and started giving it to drink to the baby.
No milk, beer!
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In terms of sleep alcohol disrupts the patterns of normal sleep. It reduces REM sleep for example, the deepest and most restorative sleep.
As a mild sedative it tends to help people drop off to sleep but they then wake and have disturbed sleep thereafter. Anxiety/withdrawal is also a factor in the night after the initial sedation.
Some people report alcohol helps them sleep (the nightcap) but many don’t. A lot of people who cut evening alcohol even from modest amounts report better quality sleep.
Best wishes to Daniel and others who have chosen to stop or substantially reduce their consumption of alcohol. I think that has become socially easier over time, but it can still be hard.
Bruce
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