, and even one glass of wine per night will add up to 10.5 units per week. Even at low levels, the alcohol you consume is a toxin: it has an effect on your body. That's why the health guidelines also recommend you go booze-free for a couple of days every week, to give your organs a chance to recover. 'We found no beneficial effects in adults who drank a low level of alcohol compared to those who did not drink alcohol,' said Professor Marco Vinceti, an adjunct professor at Boston University's School of Public Health and an author of the study. But a major new study has found that one glass is far from harmless. 'Alcohol is certainly not the sole driver of increases in blood pressure. However, our findings confirm it contributes in a meaningful way. Limiting alcohol intake is advised, and avoiding it is even better.' The science may not be entirely settled on that first point though. 'If you do fancy a drink, the current data does seem to leave a sweet spot for drinking a glass of red wine daily with friends as beneficial for overall longevity and a healthy heart; perhaps due to the polyphenols [antioxidants which can benefit heart health] or perhaps due to the social context, or maybe a cocktail of both,' wrote Tim Spector, expert professor of epidemiology and gut researcher in his book Food For Life. To understand what's happening t){kind=link}
Research suggests that even a small amount of alcohol can negatively impact our health
What’s the harm in one drink, eh? You’re not going to get rip-roaringly drunk and embarrass yourself on one glass of wine, and surely your liver can cope? Who even gets a hangover after one drink? But a major new study has found that one glass is far from harmless.
While multiple studies in the past have found no increased risk of death from one small amount of alcohol, a new analysis from the American Heart Association has found that drinking as little as one glass of wine per day increases blood pressure.
According to the NHS, the maximum you can safely drink in a week is 14 units (that’s six pints of beer or six medium glasses of wine), and even one glass of wine per night will add up to 10.5 units per week. Even at low levels, the alcohol you consume is a toxin: it has an effect on your body. That’s why the health guidelines also recommend you go booze-free for a couple of days every week, to give your organs a chance to recover.
“We found no beneficial effects in adults who drank a low level of alcohol compared to those who did not drink alcohol,” said Professor Marco Vinceti, an adjunct professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health and an author of the study. “Alcohol is certainly not the sole driver of increases in blood pressure. However, our findings confirm it contributes in a meaningful way. Limiting alcohol intake is advised, and avoiding it is even better.”