Alcohol

Alcohol and Health: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

What Is Alcohol?

The main psychoactive ingredient in alcoholic beverages is ethanol.

Generally referred to as "alcohol," ethanol is the substance that makes you drunk.

It’s produced by yeasts that digest sugar in certain carb-rich foods, such as grapes — used to make wine — or grains — used to make beer.

Alcohol is one of the most popular psychoactive substances in the world. It can have powerful effects on your mood and mental state.

By reducing self-consciousness and shyness, alcohol may encourage people to act without inhibition. At the same time, it impairs judgment and promotes behavior people may end up regretting

Some people drink small amounts at a time, while others tend to binge drink. Binge drinking involves drinking large amounts at a time to get drunk.

Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in modern society.

It is a broad category of diseases, the most common of which are heart attacks and strokes.

The relationship between alcohol and heart disease is complex and depends on several factors.

Light to moderate drinking is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, while heavy drinking appears to increase the risk (

There are several possible reasons for the beneficial effects of drinking moderately.

Moderate alcohol consumption may:

• Raise “good” HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream 
• Decrease blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease .
• Lower your blood concentration of fibrinogen, a substance that contributes to blood clots  
• Cut the risk of diabetes, another major risk factor for heart disease 
• Reduce stress and anxiety temporarily