Does Drinking Alcohol Really Promote Sleep and Improve Blood Circulation? The Truth May Surprise You!

Does Drinking Alcohol Really Promote Sleep and Improve Blood Circulation? The Truth May Surprise You!Liu, an elderly man, has worked hard all his life and is finally looking forward to enjoying his retirement. He loves to drink a little white wine every night after dinner, sometimes even more than two glasses, claiming that alcohol helps him sleep better

Does Drinking Alcohol Really Promote Sleep and Improve Blood Circulation? The Truth May Surprise You!

Liu, an elderly man, has worked hard all his life and is finally looking forward to enjoying his retirement. He loves to drink a little white wine every night after dinner, sometimes even more than two glasses, claiming that alcohol helps him sleep better. Recently, he read an article stating that moderate drinking can also improve blood circulation and even promote cardiovascular health, reinforcing his belief in the benefits of alcohol. His family is worried and tries to persuade him to quit drinking, but Liu remains unmoved, even showing the article to his family, pointing to his neighbor, Old Li, who has been drinking for years and is still healthy enough to work. No one can convince him. So is moderate drinking actually beneficial to health? The truth may surprise you!

I. What Happens to Your Body When You Drink White Wine Regularly After Dinner?

Many people feel warm all over after drinking alcohol, believing it's improving blood circulation and lowering blood pressure. But that's not the truth. This feeling is caused by alcohol dilating capillaries and accelerating metabolism, and its effect is limited to this, with no actual blood circulation benefits. The plaque inside the blood vessels is located under the inner membrane, where flowing blood cannot reach, so how can it be removed?

The temporary drop in blood pressure after drinking is also due to the dilation of capillaries. Once the alcohol is digested, the capillaries return to their original state, leading to an increase in blood pressure. Studies have found that blood pressure rises after falling asleep after drinking, and morning blood pressure is 10~20 mmHg higher than usual.

Some people might argue that it's okay as long as they drink moderately. However, there is no such thing as "drinking in moderation"; even moderate drinking can be harmful to health. A large-scale study involving approximately 510,000 people, published in The Lancet, concluded that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and any amount of drinking can harm health. Every increase in alcohol intake leads to a corresponding increase in harm.

This study also revealed the relationship between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: drinking alcohol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the higher the intake, the greater the risk. Specifically, for stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular diseases, consuming 100g of alcohol is enough to harm health.

Liu's claim that "drinking alcohol can soften blood vessels" is also unfounded, even with moderate consumption.

In 2021, a study published in The Lancet series categorized participants into three groups based on their alcohol intake: light drinkers (less than 20g per day), moderate drinkers (20 to 60g per day), and heavy drinkers (more than 60g per day). The results showed that even light drinking was associated with an increased risk of cancer, and approximately 740,000 new cancer cases worldwide could be attributed to alcohol consumption annually, with 14% of participants consuming less than 20g of alcohol per day.

Alcohol can cause comprehensive harm to health, and long-term drinking can lead to addiction. This might scare those who occasionally drink, wondering if a single drink can make them addicted. A study published in the journal PNAS pointed out that even a single drink can permanently alter the morphology of neurons in the brain, particularly hippocampal synaptic structure and mitochondrial dynamics, increasing the likelihood of alcohol addiction.

II. Common Misconceptions About Drinking: Have You Been Fooled by These 4?

It's undeniable that drinking alcohol is harmful to health, but many people have significant misconceptions about drinking, which could lead them to consume unnecessary alcohol. These four misconceptions should be clarified and avoided.

1. Drinking alcoholic beverages does not count as drinking alcohol.

Alcoholic beverages = beer. The key to determining whether you're drinking is whether you're consuming alcohol, not the taste of the beverage. Generally, alcoholic beverages have an alcohol content of around 3.8%, similar to beer.

2. People who blush after drinking are less likely to get drunk.

People who easily blush after drinking lack aldehyde dehydrogenase, so alcohol accumulates quickly in their bodies but cannot be metabolized efficiently, leading to blushing. This has nothing to do with being less likely to get drunk.

3. Drinking white wine can help fight cancer.

There's a rumor that lichenin, an active component in white wine, has antiviral and anticancer properties, which has been twisted into a claim that drinking white wine can fight cancer. However, this claim is unreliable. The lichenin content in white wine is extremely limited, and its anticancer effects have not been scientifically proven.

4. Abruptly quitting alcohol can harm the body.

Some people who are addicted to alcohol may experience symptoms like heart palpitations, tremors, and vomiting after quitting. These are normal physiological reactions that usually subside after a while. If these symptoms are severe and affect your daily life, you should seek medical help and consider taking medications for relief.

III. Self-Discipline is Key to Controlling Alcohol Consumption: 4 Tips to Minimize Harm

In life, there are times when drinking alcohol is unavoidable, so try to limit your intake. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines recommend daily alcohol intake for men and women to be less than 25/15g, respectively. If you can avoid drinking, do so.

Besides controlling intake, taking these steps can also help minimize harm:

1. Do not drink on an empty stomach.

Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach allows the body to absorb alcohol quickly, increasing the risk of getting drunk and causing severe irritation to the gastric mucosa. It's recommended to eat high-protein, high-fat, or high-carbohydrate foods before drinking. This slows down gastric emptying and reduces the harm to your body.

2. Drink plenty of water.

Drinking plenty of water while drinking alcohol helps dilute and metabolize alcohol, which can help alleviate post-drinking discomfort.

3. Sip slowly.

Try to sip slowly during drinking. Drinking large amounts of alcohol at once allows alcohol to enter the bloodstream quickly, leading to rapid intoxication.

4. Do not bathe immediately after drinking.

Avoid bathing immediately after drinking, as it can easily cause dizziness, palpitations, fatigue, and even hypoglycemic coma. Also, bathing after drinking causes vasodilation, which can easily lead to insufficient blood supply to the brain, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Alcohol is harmful to health, and there is no benefit. Don't believe rumors and drink alcohol blindly. It will be too late when you have health problems.