Alcohol has been around since the dawn of history. Early Egyptians made both wine and beer and the Incas and Aztecs in the Americas manufactured alcoholic beverages too, as did people in China, India, Babylon.
Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of sugars and starches from fruits, flowers, herbs, plants and grains. Source materials are as diverse as rice, wheat, sugar cane, grapes, honey, pineapple, corn, dandelions, plums and chokecherries, each adding its own distinctive flavours. Sometimes extra sugar is added to assist in the fermentation.
The word alcohol originated in medieval Latin meaning spirits. In many languages alcohol is commonly referred to as “life water,” which is how we get Irish whisky or uisce beatha, French eau de vie, and Scandinavian akvavit or aqua vitae.
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Today the word alcohol is used to describe any beverage having an alcohol content, especially beer, wine, and spirits or liquor. Beer and wine are fermented while spirits are distilled, a process in which they are heated and the evapourated alcohol is collected.
Alcohol content of a beverage is expressed as “proof” which is twice the percentage of alcohol in the liquid. For example, a 100-proof product will be 50 per cent alcohol. Beer ranges from four to six per cent alcohol, wine from nine to 16 per cent, and spirits 20 per cent and greater. Light beverages usually contain less, and fortified beverages contain more.
Your body readily absorbs any alcohol you drink and spreads it throughout your body. In the central nervous system or brain, alcohol inhibits parts of your brain that are responsible for your restraint and judgment. It also slows your reactions and causes you to lose your co-ordination. In your gastro-intestinal tract it can cause irritation; in your kidneys dehydration and fluid loss. You may experience stomach irritation and need to go to the bathroom more often.
Alcohol is metabolized in your liver, and too much can overwork your liver causing damage and even cirrhosis or death of liver tissue. About 10 per cent
Osteoporosis is considered a “silent thief” of your bone mass because it has few symptoms and by the time you realize your are affected by the disease you may already have a broken bone. The disease affects about two million Canadians and one in four women over age 50 are impacted. However, older men and even younger women can be affected. Next issue, we’ll look at what you can do to prevent osteoporosis, regardless of your age. Send Marie your thoughts and questions: [email protected].
is excreted unchanged through your kidneys, but one to five per cent is excreted unchanged through your breath and this is the basis of breathalyser testing.
Alcohol is thought to enhance your “love life,” because it can reduce inhibitions, that is “liquid courage.” Unfortunately, it reduces the ability to perform sexually and causes sedation!
A “hangover” is a group of symptoms which results from alcohol consumption. Dehydration causes the “cottony mouth”; acetyldehyde, the by-product of metabolism, causes headaches and vomiting; sleep disturbances cause tiredness. Obviously, not consuming alcohol will avoid these symptoms, but fluid consumption, analgesics, and rest will help.
When you take any medication, including nonprescription products and herbal remedies, always ask about whether you can drink alcohol or not. In combination with some drugs, for example antihistamines, antidepressants and sedatives, alcohol can increase your risk for adverse effects such as sedation, dizziness and confusion.
Alcohol can increase the number of trips you take to the bathroom which in turn can impact the effect of drugs like diuretics or those used to treat overactive bladder. Because alcohol has gastro-intestinal symptoms, it can increase the stomach irritation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen.
Drinking too much alcohol adversely affects cardiovascular health and conditions such as diabetes, and it also increases risks for falls and injuries.
How much is too much? On average the recommendations are one to two drinks per day with a maximum of nine each week for women and 14 for men. A drink is defined as one regular-size beer, five ounces of wine, or 1 ounces of spirits. You should never drink if you are driving, and pregnant women should not drink because of the risk for fetal alcohol syndrome.
Sometimes alcohol is touted as having beneficial effects and is considered part of the Mediterranean diet which is a diet high in fruits and vegetables with healthy fats like olive oil. Here it is red wine that seems to be beneficial. Red wine contains flavinoids which have positive cardiovascular effects. If you don’t drink alcohol, you can still benefit from increasing your dietary intake of fruits and vegetables and avoiding animal fats.
Alcohol consumption is part of contemporary society, but moderation is key.
Marie Berry is a lawyer/pharmacist interested in health care and education.
