Booze Is Actually Good For You

1. What.. Alcohol As A Liver Tonic? - Surprised? We are! A survey showed a daily alcohol intake of up to 36 grams roughly 2 beer pints, is beneficial for the common ailment, steatohepatatis or Fatty Liver Disease. It was found drinkers have half the risk of developing the disease than those who drank no alcohol... but a 'modest cold one' will do, and dark beer has the most B-vitamins and antioxidants!

2. Longer Or Shorter Lifespan? - In a 20-year research study, 41 of moderate drinkers died prematurely compared to 69 of the nondrinkers. Heavy drinkers even fared better than those who abstained with a mortality rate of 60! Also nondrinker were measured as being the least happy of the group. Can you believe that?! Could a New Year's resolution be to drink everyday albeit moderately? Cheers!

3. A Sexual Satisfaction Survey: Women - In 2009 a female sexual function questionnaire found teetotalers scored 68 on sexual satisfaction. Those who regularly drank 1 glass of red wine got 72, and women who championed 2 regular glasses got 76! What about the men? They've yet to be queried, but lab rats who had red wine showed an increased effectiveness of the erectile dysfunction drug, Levitra.

4. Doctor's Recommendation - Doctors now note the health benefits of drinking, especially red wine. Reputable sources show at least 1 drink a day lowers heart disease by up to 40! Other advances are in: drinking can reduce risks of bowel cancer, macular degeneration, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, breast cancer, the common cold, obesity, diabetes and some researchers believe dementia later in life. So amazing!

5. What Is It About Red Wine? - Did you know inflammation within the body is a major component of disease? Resveratrol, a substance in red wine works as a natural anti-inflammatory, which prevents and resolves just that. If this isn't awesome enough, the antioxidants from fermented grapes destroys cancer cells from the inside and enhances the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy cancer treatments!

6. The Elephant in the Room - Positive health benefits with drinking doesn't negate alcohol abuse nor alcoholism. Ethanol in drinking alcohol is a drug, and in large enough quantities it can cause alcohol poisoning. Like pharmaceutical drugs, the recommended dose is key. Also the U.S. Surgeon General warns, pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol due to birth defects. 'Gently subdued' not 'sauced' is a good motto!

7. Relaxing Feeling Good - If you feel there's something soothing about a dose of alcohol, you're right! An alcohol beverage promotes 'feel good' chemicals in the brain: GABA, dopamine and serotonin. As the mind becomes 'quieted', 'reward centers' are activated making small doses of alcohol enjoyable. Now since stress is bad for us, the idea of breaking the stress loop with moderate amounts of alcohol makes complete sense!

8. A Social Lubricant - Yes, spirits enhances socializing, but granted you're not falling over yourself! The liquid drug erases interpersonal anxieties. New studies show that moderate drinkers have more friends with 'quality support' than abstainers. They're also more likely to be married, and this is a big plus as 'loneliness' is now being tied to shorter lifespans.

9. Alcohol Cirrhosis Of The Liver - Simply put, pickling oneself can cause Alcohol Liver Disease ALD. But research revealed those who drank 35-120 grams of alcohol daily, 93 had no sign of cirrhosis. You might ask.. what about the unlucky 7? 'Genetic make-up' is what's suspect, and the bad news is, if you're unlucky to carry this unusual gene variant, ALD could occur no matter how little you drink.

10. A Measure Of Career Success - The jury has spoken: teetotalers are not as successful as moderate drinkers! In 2001, a university study found those who drank 2 drinks daily had a mean income of 49K versus 36K for the nondrinkers. Wow, that's a 13K income jump! It must be noted though, that income falls quickly if one moves into the heavier drinking range of over 2.6 drinks per day for men and 1.5 per women.