Effects of Alcohol on the Human Body
Effects of Alcohol on the Human Body
Traditional Chinese medicine holds: "Alcohol is the essence of grains and water, pungent and sweet, warm in nature, entering the heart and liver meridians, capable of activating blood circulation, removing stasis, unblocking meridians, dispelling wind and cold, eliminating food accumulation, warming the interior, and enhancing drug efficacy." "Essentials of Materia Medica" records: "Moderate drinking harmonizes blood and qi, strengthens spirit, wards off cold, lifts mood, removes evil influences, clears toxins, warms internal organs, and facilitates drug action. Excessive drinking harms the spirit and depletes blood, injures the stomach, consumes essence, triggers fire, generates phlegm, induces anger, and fuels desire, leading to damp-heat diseases."
Modern medicine believes: "A little is beneficial, too much is harmful." Moderate drinking increases saliva and gastric juice secretion, promotes digestion and absorption, enhances blood circulation, dilates blood vessels, increases cerebral blood flow, stimulates mental activity, boosts appetite, strengthens the heart, improves alertness, aids sleep, and relieves fatigue. Excessive drinking harms health.
Alcohol has both benefits and harms. It offers nourishing effects and medicinal value. Appropriate drinking accelerates blood circulation, activates blood flow, reduces cardiac load, effectively preventing cardiovascular diseases. Traditionally, it was believed that people with coronary heart disease must never drink. Studies show: highest blood pressure among heavy drinkers, followed by non-drinkers, while moderate drinkers have the most normal blood pressure. Research also finds that moderate drinking increases blood protein levels, reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis and heart/lung diseases. Why does moderate drinking reduce heart disease risk? A biologist discovered plant estrogen in a strong whiskey, partially revealing the secret: this estrogen increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, thus preventing heart disease. Ancient Chinese medicine believed alcohol could unblock meridians. It says: "Alcohol is the chief of all medicines." This is the highest praise for alcohol's medicinal value, still applied today through soaking herbs in alcohol for prevention and treatment.
Since low-alcohol beverages like fruit wine, yellow wine, and beer contain abundant nutrients, amino acids, and vitamins, regular moderate consumption undoubtedly benefits health. If possible, consistently drinking small amounts of natural grape wine can strengthen the heart, enrich blood, soften blood vessels, and treat various anemias. Besides sugars, alcohol, acids, proteins, minerals, esters, and amino acids, grape wine also contains vitamins C, B6, and D—essential for growth and disease prevention. Therefore, some doctors recommend: low-blood-pressure patients drink 15 ml of clove wine daily as a beneficial auxiliary therapy. Beer, rich in carbon dioxide, has remarkable cooling and heat-relieving properties, making it an ideal refreshing, nutritious drink in summer—quenching thirst, aiding digestion, strengthening the spleen and stomach, stimulating appetite, and offering therapeutic effects for certain conditions like hypertension and anemia. Medicinal wines fall into two categories: tonifying wines and medicinal wines. The former nourishes the body and promotes health, classified as beverage alcohol; the latter primarily treats diseases. Physiologists have found that after moderate drinking, pancreatic hormones increase significantly compared to pre-drinking levels. This digestive hormone secreted by the pancreas greatly benefits health. With age, especially in middle and old age, bodily functions decline—moderate drinking is thus beneficial.