FIR Episode 21: Is alcohol good for me or not?

Our subject for this week is dedicated to Alcohol awareness month and asks the question “Is alcohol good for me or not?”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the answer seems to be a resounding no. It doesn’t seem to be good for you at all.”

At least based on new emerging research in 2023.

“The lead author of a study looking at alcohol and cardiovascular disease, Dr Rudolph Schutte, expressed in an interview that “health benefit from low to moderate alcohol consumption is the biggest myth since we were told smoking was good for us.”

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, we will look at some of the ways alcohol affects your body to get a more balanced picture. 

The focus will be its effects on your digestive system, mental health, metabolism and sleep. 

Philip also looks at how even low to moderate alcohol consumption could lead to an earlier chronic disease diagnosis, such as cardiovascular illness.

That’s not all.

Alcohol can be directly responsible for four out of the five characteristics of metabolic syndrome in heavy drinkers. But can be protective in low to moderate drinkers.

The syndrome groups common metabolic issues, such as high BMI, high fasting glucose, high triglyceride, LDL levels and high blood pressure.

Higher levels of consumption contribute to all of these independent characteristics, such as high blood pressure, imbalanced cholesterol levels and obesity.

Research around the role that alcohol can play in IBS is mixed, but what about its role in creating functional digestive problems? 

The mechanism of how drinking contributes to these problems is still up for interpretation. Animal studies have shown that it can decrease the ratio between Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and increase undesirable bacteria.

The effects of alcohol on the digestion can then radiate to the brain.

Along with influencing the brain’s immune system, alcohol interacts with the excitatory chemicals in the brain. 

For example, serotonin (the good mood chemical) and dopamine (the pleasure chemical) and the inhibitory ones, such as GABA.

Finally, Philip looks further into how this interaction in the brain causes alcohol to negatively affect your sleep.

All this and more in this episode of Free and Inspired radio!