Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth? • Hacker News Board

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#51

Post by Zazezizozuzy » Fri, May 08, 2015, 6:54 PM UTC

jotm wrote: post #39

arielweisberg wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My observation is that my drinking habits match my food habits. Both require careful attention although alcohol unlike food has a built-in negative feedback mechanism. I do a dry week without alcohol every once in a while just to make sure I can. I find doing a dry week without alcohol the same difficulty as dry week without diet Coke. Which is to say I like diet Coke a lot and both require effort. You get things lik…

Now do a dry month. I am very easily addicted to alcohol, I hate the goddamn thing, I can hold out a week, but a month is much harder and shows exactly how far into it I am...

Did this though April. I have high blood pressure and my doctor is going through a list of substances that I should remove from my diet to see its effects. I cut out alcohol through April and my blood pressure went up significantly. After the first week I was showing a consistent 160/100. My doctor then recommended that I have a single drink at least every couple days.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#52

Post by wutbrodo » Fri, May 08, 2015, 7:21 PM UTC

mildbow wrote: post #11

wutbrodo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? I have plenty of friends who have a glass of wine (or scotch) a night; Are you saying that strikes you as an uncommon phenomenon?

Are you sure it's just a glass? I started like that and atleast in my case, I very much progressed far beyond moderate amounts in the span of 3 years.

For the couple of them that I live with (either now or in the past), yea I'm sure. I have a glass of beer or scotch or wine in the evening ~once a week at work, and it doesn't seem hard to imagine people doing it every day (the reason I limit the days I do it has more to do with the fact that I control my nutrition fairly tightly).

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#53

Post by wutbrodo » Fri, May 08, 2015, 7:24 PM UTC

mod wrote: post #50

brianwawok wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also drink moderately. Usually 1 drink per day. Once in a while 0. ~once a month 2. I think the most common forms of drinking are 0 or , but there are at least some people that moderate (I do).

I'm curious as to why you drink one drink per day. For me, drinking is mostly about feeling different from what I normally feel. Having one drink doesn't have any noticeable impact for me, so I virtually never have just one drink except in social situations or when I just think a beer will taste good with a meal, perhaps. I don't know where you draw the line of , or why you draw it there, but something more like 4 dr…

> For me, drinking is mostly about feeling different from what I normally feel. Having one drink doesn't have any noticeable impact for me, so I virtually never have just one drink except in social situations or when I just think a beer will taste good with a meal, perhaps.

I'm not the person you asked but I'm in a similar position. Alcohol's effect on the body is as psychological as it is physiological, so even with one drink, I tap a little into those feelings of "unwinding". Throw in the fact that I'll drink beer or scotch that I really enjoy the taste of, and having a single drink is an easy way to have a nice, tasty bit of relaxation after a long day, while avoiding the disruption to my activities that 3+ drinks might entail.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#54

Post by stephengillie » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:00 PM UTC

jotm wrote: post #40

coldtea wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd be surprised. There are places that have a wine culture, where people drink with every meal and that have less alcoholics and over-consumption than other countries without such a culture.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

What's the downside of addiction, again?

This is starting to sound like the Melange-Spice from Dune.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#55

Post by camelNotation » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:28 PM UTC

I've never heard the idea that "moderate drinking" was good for your health.

I've heard that having 1 or 2 dark beers per week can positively impact your HDL Cholesterol levels.

I've heard that drinking a glass of red wine every now and then can benefit your cardiovascular health.

However, I've never heard of any health benefits from light beer, liquor, white wine, or any other alcoholic beverage. I am curious where the idea of "benefits of moderate drinking" came from.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#56

Post by jotm » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:29 PM UTC

DanBC wrote: post #46

jotm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

Alcoholism is not "a drink a day". http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg115 > Alcohol dependence is characterised by craving, tolerance, a preoccupation with alcohol and continued drinking in spite of harmful consequences (for example, liver disease or depression caused by drinking). [...] > Alcohol dependence affects 4% of people aged between 16 and 65 in England (6% of men and 2% of women), and over 24% of the English…

Yeah, the Russians define alcoholism as 0.5L of vodka a day. How convenient. Doesn't change the fact that habitual drinking is alcoholism and can easily lead to dangerous drinking (1 glass of wine a day may not be dangerous, but it makes it very easy to drink "a bit" more, especially when you're stressed or depressed).

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#57

Post by jotm » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:31 PM UTC

stephengillie wrote: post #54

jotm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

What's the downside of addiction, again? This is starting to sound like the Melange-Spice from Dune.

Lowered intelligence, lowered reflexes, the need to spend money on alcohol (unless you can drink the bottom end shit), feeling down, depressed or anxious during withdrawal if you miraculously quit (several weeks at least).

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#58

Post by mrtron » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:32 PM UTC

jotm wrote: post #39

arielweisberg wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My observation is that my drinking habits match my food habits. Both require careful attention although alcohol unlike food has a built-in negative feedback mechanism. I do a dry week without alcohol every once in a while just to make sure I can. I find doing a dry week without alcohol the same difficulty as dry week without diet Coke. Which is to say I like diet Coke a lot and both require effort. You get things lik…

Now do a dry month. I am very easily addicted to alcohol, I hate the goddamn thing, I can hold out a week, but a month is much harder and shows exactly how far into it I am...

I am a moderate drinker, and currently doing a dry month.

It is trivial for me to do, and I could do a dry year or decade.

I will likely resume drinking alcohol after this month (or months) as I enjoy it and don't see any strong negative impacts from it.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#59

Post by jotm » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:32 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #47

jotm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

If you have no negative effects and casually live up to 80 and 90, as these people do, then they might as well be junkies...

True, but that requires great self control. If you drink a bit more every day, you go into mental retardation territory and then you become more stupid, depressed and so addicted you hate yourself.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#60

Post by jotm » Fri, May 08, 2015, 8:34 PM UTC

sliverstorm wrote: post #43

jotm wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile, you shun antidepressants, and stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, etc.). Just because alcohol has been discovered 10000 years ago, doesn't mean it's better than modern pharma. It's the same thing with coffee and cigarettes...

Tobacco was discovered probably just as long ago, but I don't see anyone blinded into thinking it is healthy by its antiquity.

Most smokers say it calms them down. Nicotine does indeed have calming effects and improves focus. Which is why E-cigs are way healthier than normal cigarettes.