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Journalism of Courage
It may be wise for me to switch off my cell phone this festive season. Each year, the approach of December-end makes me nervous. And no, it is not about choosing which parties to go to.
Last time, it was a friend who started the flurry of phone-calls, asking for a quick fix for her husband8217;s hangover.
But prescribing hangover remedies is the least of my worries. As a nutritionist attached to a liver institute, my real apprehension stems from witnessing the undiluted imbibing during Christmas and New Year by men and women of ages tender and careworn.
A drink or two makes a festive occasion merrier, but it8217;s time we set the record straight about alcohol consumption 8212; while our heads are still clear.
Misconception
Alcohol helps to relax and it reduces anxiety.
The Truth: Alcohol certainly lubricates social interaction at parties and to that extent it is welcome. However beware! Alcohol is rightly termed as an anesthetic 8212; it puts the brain centers to sleep. It acts first on the emotion controlling centers, then on the muscular control ones and finally on the centers that control breathing and heart rate. It is only low amounts of alcohol that could lead to relaxation and anxiety relief. Any excess consumption, even on a single occasion, leads to problems like loss of physical and mental control, increase in reaction time, vision disturbances and dehydration.
Misconception
Wine has medicinal value.
The Truth: White wine has no medicinal value. You can enjoy it but do not have any illusions. Only red wine has medicinal value in the form of anti-oxidants. This is not a virtue of the wine. It is the red grapes that contains the resveratol and the procyanidins.
True, the health experts of late have extolled the red wine and the London Mail has recently reported that the first wine offered for its medicinal value is for sale in the markets of Britain.
What is not touted is that the same benefits can be derived by simply consuming fresh red or black grapes 8212; or even sun dried raisins made from them 8212; at a fraction of the cost. It is the sun that increases the anti-oxidants in the grapes.
Another fact not so well highlighted is that red wine has a whopping alcohol content of 14 per cent. So it is easy to harm oneself by imbibing excess alcohol in hope of imbibing large amounts of anti-oxidants.
It is interesting to note that not all red wine has the same concentration of beneficial compounds. It is believed that red wines from the French Pyrenees and the Italian island of Sardinia have 5 to 10 times higher content of procyanidins, the beneficial compound. We in India will be better off with our indigenous fruits like jamun, phalsa, anaar or black grapes and peanuts.
Misconception
Drinking in moderation is beneficial
The Truth: Drinking in moder-ation is likely to be alright. But the moot point is: what does moderation mean? What is a moderate for one may be an excess for another simply because not everyone has the same tolerance level to alcohol. The guidelines on safety limit on a single occasion means not more than one drink for a woman and two for a man. But if you think it8217;s a ghastly prospect, and try to increase your allowance by abstaining for some days and then binging on one, think again. Binge drinking is quite dangerous.
Misconception
Alcohol is good for the heart
The Truth: The over 45 age group is the one that is supposed to reap the maximum rewards on this one. And the quantity of drink imbibed is also significant. Only low or moderate drinking can bring some benefit to the heart. This kind of controlled intake may help in improving the level of good cholesterol but do not forget that alcohol on the other hand can increase the level of triglycerides and homocysteine 8212; the other risk factors for heart disease.
The same benefits for the heart can be accrued by simply eating the right foods and fruits and exercising daily.
Party drinking pointers
I am well aware that no matter how much I may caution against the ill effects of alcohol consumption, it is not easy to dissuade most people from imbibing, especially at parties.
For such persons I would like to provide some guidelines.
It is important to not drink very fast. This not only reduces the amount of alcohol consumed, but also the chance of the brain being affected easily.
Several factors can influence the rate at which alcohol is absorbed by the body.
One is the presence of food in stomach, which slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed. A drink with a meal is a much better idea than a stand alone drink. But this does not mean gorging on unhealthy fried snacks along with a drink.
Fermented drinks like beer and wine are absorbed slower than the non-fermented ones. Drinks mixed with fruit or vegetable juices have slower rates of absorption than the straight shots.
Carbonated beverages 8212; sodas and colas 8212; can enhance the absorption of alcohol and so they should not be mixed or had with alcoholic drinks.
Remember liver can metabolize only one drink an hour. Anything beyond will circulate full strength in blood. Therefore do drink slowly.
The metabolism of alcohol is influenced by gender and the bias is certainly not in favour of women. Women have less of the enzymes to process alcohol and therefore are affected more adversely than men.
Finally, if you have not heeded any of my wisdom as displayed above, here is the final deterrent: The truth about hangover remedies. Contrary to such claims, there are none.
Of course I did not tell my friend that. Sometimes even placebos work! So I told her to give her husband a piece of burnt toast. Believe it or not, he was better in a jiffy. This year, I hear he8217;s planning to throw the 8220;mother of all parties8221;. And he says he will keep lots of bread and a toaster handy!
For some it8217;S a no-no
I feel concerned by the increasing incidence of damage to one8217;s health that is being caused by alcohol due to ignorance. It will be worthwhile to recount some simple rules to help prevent such damage:
8226; Avoid alcohol completely if you are on blood sugar regulating medication. Medicines that regulate blood sugar can cause serious side effects when combined with alcohol.
8226; All women trying to conceive or those who are expecting or breast feeding should avoid alcohol. There are no safe limits for them.
8226; All those with any kind of liver disease should avoid alcohol completely. Remember, liver is said to have an 8220;elephantine memory8221;. In other words, every drop of alcohol imbibed leaves its impact on the liver.
8226; Know your genetic make up. It is now certain that there is a genetic makeup that predisposes some to alcohol abuse. If you have a family history of alcohol related problems, you are definitely at risk.
