Is it unhealthy to drink no alcohol at all? Is a little bit more healthy than none?

I'm still nursing so I won't drink alcohol and I haven't had any at all since before I got pregnant but I'll go back to having beer or wine with dinner when my kids are completely off breast milk.

Anyway, I think wine or beer with dinner is healthier than never drinking because it seems to help keep off extra weight.  

Depends on the person and their environment and what else they are eating.  A little alcohol can help make balance or dissolve fatty acids in the body but its not just automatically good for you.  And certainly never to excess.  But people through history have almost always had alcohol.  Drugs - maybe a little of certain ones which occur naturally but anything else is going to be harmful to us. 

We get conflicting advice do we not? I have read articles that say no alcohol at all is best, but have also read articles that say moderate to heavy drinkers do best.. So confusing but I guess it depends on what criteria we are going by. 

It's one of those "some is good but more is NOT better" things. Wine, cider and beer have been proven beneficial in moderation, the jury is still out on spirits. It's more than likely that the good stuff gets distilled out, vinegar is unquestionably good for you in limited amounts.

The Mayo Clinic says: 

"Moderate alcohol use has possible health benefits, but it's not risk-free.

"Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits, such as:

• Reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease
• Possibly reduce your risk of ischemic stroke (when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow)
• Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

"Even so, the evidence about the health benefits of alcohol isn't certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks.
Keep in mind that even moderate use isn't risk-free. For example, drinking and driving is never a good idea.

"Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

"Examples of one drink include:

• Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters)
• Wine: 5 fluid ounces (148 milliliters)
• Distilled spirits (80 proof): 1.5 fluid ounces (44 milliliters)

"In certain situations, the risks of alcohol may outweigh the possible health benefits. For example, talk to your doctor about alcohol use if:

• You're pregnant or trying to become pregnant
• You've been diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or you have a strong family history of alcoholism
• You have liver or pancreatic disease
• You have heart failure or you've been told you have a weak heart
• You take prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol
• You've had a hemorrhagic stroke (when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures)

"Moderate alcohol use may be of most benefit if you have existing risk factors for heart disease. However, you can take other steps to improve your heart health besides drinking — eating a healthy diet and exercising, for example, which have more robust research behind them.

"The latest dietary guidelines make it clear that no one should begin drinking or drink more frequently on the basis of potential health benefits. However, if you do drink alcohol and you're healthy, there's probably no need to stop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation."

 

This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 5, 2018 2:26 AM MDT