Many people believe that alcoholic beverages have a positive effect on cholesterol levels. There is even an opinion about strong blood vessels in alcoholics compared to non-drinkers. But you need to consider the impact of alcoholic beverages on other organs. The relationship between cholesterol and alcohol is described in the article.
Consequences of high cholesterol
If cholesterol is elevated, this leads to its deposition on the inner walls of blood vessels. As a result, there are plaques, which are called cholesterol. This process is the beginning of the development of atherosclerosis, which, in the absence of timely and effective treatment, can lead to serious complications.
With cholesterol plaques, the lumen in the vessels decreases. As a result, patency worsens, which disrupts blood circulation in tissues and organs. Plaques increase in size, due to which there is a risk of blockage of the vessel. The body is not capable of handling it on its own. Then medical attention is required.
High cholesterol leads to:
- IHD, heart attack. With plaques, the lumen in the coronary arteries narrows. A person periodically has pain in the retrosternal part, which occurs in the form of seizures. In the absence of timely medical care, the lumen in the artery is blocked, which causes myocardial infarction.
- Stroke. In this case, plaques disrupt normal blood circulation in the vessels of the brain. A person develops constant headaches, memory and vision worsen due to the fact that insufficient oxygen is supplied to the brain tissues, a stroke occurs.
- Organ failure. The nutrition of the organs is disturbed due to the presence of plaques in the vessels. This is how functional failure develops. The consequences of this process are dangerous, sometimes leading to death.
- Arterial hypertension. Often the disease develops due to high cholesterol.
The effect of alcohol on the body
How does alcohol harm the human body? Usually the stomach, liver, intestines suffer from this. Alcohol after penetration into the oral cavity leads to the reaction of the stomach to the formation of juice. As a result, there is a feeling of hunger. The juice secreted in the stomach in large quantities includes hydrochloric acid with no pepsin, which is required for the digestion of the food eaten. This is how gastritis, gastric catarrh, and ulcers appear. With these ailments, there is constant nausea, pain in the abdomen, vomiting.
Alcoholic drinks affect more than just the stomach. The intestines suffer no less. It gets inflamed,which causes enterocolitis, manifested as a permanent disorder of the stool. Often people who drink alcohol often develop hemorrhoids. Violation of the digestive tract leads to a lack of vitamins, minerals, trace elements in the body that come with food.
The liver suffers from alcohol. The task of the body is to neutralize the toxic components that have entered the human body. Even small amounts of alcohol damage the liver. This harm is temporary if alcohol is consumed irregularly. And with constant intake, chronic hepatitis, liver sclerosis and cirrhosis develop.
Association of alcoholic beverages with cholesterol
Can I drink alcohol with high cholesterol? A moderate amount of the drink is allowed to be consumed after consulting a doctor. Only a specialist is able to determine by the state of a person whether alcohol is possible with high cholesterol or not. Based on research, if a person consumes a little alcohol once a week, then this will have a positive effect on high cholesterol.
Does alcohol increase cholesterol? With moderate use, this should not be feared. It is only important to adhere to the norms:
- wine - 100 ml;
- beer - 300 ml;
- liquor - 30 ml.
It should be borne in mind that the dose of alcohol for women is 2 times less. What is the effect of alcohol on cholesterol at these doses? In this case, it will be possible to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction. What is the relationship between alcohol andhigh cholesterol? In this case, alcoholic beverages are contraindicated if there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
There is an opinion that due to alcoholic beverages, excess cholesterol is removed. What is the essence of this provision? Alcohol dilates blood vessels, which increases blood flow, and this washes away the plaques formed on the walls of blood vessels. When alcohol ceases to act, vasoconstriction occurs, but also an improvement in blood circulation. But for these purposes, it is preferable to stick to a diet or go in for sports, which has a beneficial effect on the body.
About the rules for taking alcohol
Alcohol with high cholesterol can be allowed by a doctor in prescribed doses. Then you need to follow other simple rules:
- You should buy only quality products. To save money, some manufacturers add components that negatively affect the body, even if a person drinks a little drink. The best choice would be homemade wine.
- You should take the dose advised by the doctor. If this rule is not taken into account, then great harm will be done to the body.
- To dissolve cholesterol, the required dose is consumed only once a week, preferably at bedtime.
Interaction
The question of how alcohol affects cholesterol is of concern to many. To answer it, they did research. It was found that a quality drink in moderation is not harmful, but on the contrary, it is useful. Patients from the cardiology departments were offered methods to lower cholesterol. They took medicines, vitamins. After that, there was an increase in the level of bad cholesterol. For this, medicines of different composition were used.
Alcohol-based experiments have shown that after drinking a small amount, alcohol raises HDL cholesterol. But then LDL decreased slightly. Still, not all doctors believe in the positive interaction of alcohol and cholesterol, and in fact, the benefits of dry red wine for the heart and blood vessels have been established. This is due to the fact that many do not control the amount of alcohol they drink, which leads to negative consequences.
Is wine he althy?
During the studies, different drinks were used, but as it was found, wine has a positive effect on the body. It has a lot of antioxidants, which, penetrating the body:
- improve blood circulation;
- reduce blood clots.
In order for the doctor to allow the intake of alcoholic beverages, it is important that there are no contraindications. These include pathologies and diseases of organs and systems in which you can not drink alcohol. Sometimes this even applies to medicines based on ethyl alcohol. People who do not limit themselves in the dose should be told about the dangers of drinking alcohol, as well as the consequences. These patients, even in the minimum amount, the doctor will not allow to take alcohol.
Benefits of red wine
Only red wine is considered he althy. It is useful due to the fact that the seeds and skin of red grapes are rich in antioxidants, flavonoids and resveratrol. The drink contains vitamins andtrace elements:
- iron - helps with anemia;
- magnesium - strengthens the heart and blood vessels;
- chromium - breaks down fatty acids;
- rubidium - removes toxins.
Red wine has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, protecting nerve cells from destruction. It is used in the treatment of colds, to strengthen the immune system, improve sleep and appetite. Useful in small amounts for weight loss, especially for diabetics. Red wine burns fat cells and inhibits their development.
Consequences
In the presence of heart disease, blood vessels, patients are prescribed drugs that can reduce and normalize high cholesterol. They are also prescribed:
- vitamin B3;
- sleeping pills;
- antidiabetic drugs.
High cholesterol and alcohol can also have negative consequences. If a person takes one of these drugs, still consumes alcohol, then this serves to create an "explosive mixture" in the body. The result will be:
- deterioration of he alth;
- destruction of the gastrointestinal tract;
- negative effects on the liver, kidneys.
Drinking alcohol during treatment, during which cholesterol-lowering medications are used, serves to enhance the negative effects of drugs. Because of this, many he alth problems develop. Another important fact is that the expected result from medicines is noticeablydecreases. Although alcohol washes away plaque from blood vessels, this is not a defense in its favor. Since in the body there are not only vessels that require cleansing, but also other organs that suffer from alcohol. Therefore, the benefit is neutralized by harm to the general condition.
Although alcohol can lower cholesterol a little, it's better to choose a different way to cleanse the vessels. To do this, there is a diet and active physical activity, which have a positive effect on the entire body.
Cholesterol reduction without alcohol
You can reduce cholesterol without alcohol. To do this, you must observe moderation in the use of fatty foods. You also need a he althy lifestyle and the rejection of bad habits. Physical activity is another proven method, as metabolism slows down with age.
Diet helps in this problem. Avoid butter and use olive oil. The menu should include nuts, avocados, peanut butter. Eggs can be consumed, but not more than 3 times a week. Legumes should be present in the diet. Cholesterol-lowering fruits, especially citrus fruits. Proper nutrition allows you to get a great effect.
