Drink Moderately – Holiday Party Non-Exempted

Waking up with the head heavy is all too common among drinkers. Perhaps, most even throw in the morning, after last night’s heavy drink. Not only that, some of you may have already experienced passing out, and finding yourselves in somebody else’s room the next morning. But did it ever come to your mind that your best night outs with friends could ever make you end up in the hospital bed, asking someone in medical uniforms what happened while still with that dizzy feeling? Your risk of ending up in the hospital bed is higher this holiday season.

The principle of the wise – DRINK MODERATELY – exempts not even holiday parties. It is wise to consider this as a reminder, especially that the parties will surely be flooded with liquor. Why should you watch how much alcohol to drink this Christmas? Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas found that even a small increase in alcohol intake can increase risk of different kinds of cancers.

This new research supports prior claims of alcohol’s link to increased cancer risk. Heavy drinking is known to dramatically increase risk of mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, and liver cancers. A study on breast cancer also points out that even moderate amounts of alcohol can increase risk of the disease. But as to the cause of how alcohol works to increase cancer cells activity, answers are still unclear. Researchers speculate that ethanol or alcohol itself damages cells, and cause them to become unstable, hence vulnerable to cancer. On the other hand, researchers look into the estrogen levels and genetic differences to trace alcohol’s role in developing breast cancer.

Aside from increased cancer risk, chronic heavy drinkers can suffer low immune response, making them easy targets for flu. But while it’s said that moderate drinking should solve these risks, regular moderate drinking is still believed to more at risk of flu. Alcohol and freezing temperature combo is surely tough to beat. So better watch your alcohol intake this season so as to not end up in the care of those in nurse uniforms and labcoat.

However, if you are expecting a child, even moderate drinking is not for you. Maternal drinking is believed to cause fetal alcohol syndrome, a disorder that affects children born to mothers who drink while pregnant. Danger of maternal drinking is being contested by a study that claims safety in drinking 1 or 2 glasses of wine per week.

It will also be wise to think of your heart before chugging another drink as men with blood pressure of 168/100 and up are more at risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, according to a study in Yosei University, College of Medicine, in Seoul, South Korea. 6 drinks on holiday can up risk by 4 times as compared to non-drinkers. Raise that to 12, and risk climbs to 12 folds. However, drinking moderately was found to up longevity and lower risk of heart diseases.

How much alcohol should you have this holiday to avoid the hospital bed, those in labcoat and nurse uniforms, and of course, the hospitalization cost? 1 drink for women and 2 for men. One drink equals to 12 oz beer, 1.5 oz 80-proof spirits or 1 oz 100-proof spirits.