Happy New Year from Second Nature Naturopathic Care. Make this your best and healthiest year ever with a colonic, personalized nutrition consult, ozone treatment, prolozone therapy, vitamin push, medical massage, environmental consult or a specialized lab to confirm what you've been wondering about all year. I am grateful to each and every one of my patients who continue to guide the work ahead.
As we close out 2016 and look forward to good things in 2017 be mindful of how much alcohol you drink at year-end celebrations.
It is estimated that more than 8 million Americans are alcohol dependent with 15% of the population at higher risk. I think the actual numbers are probably higher. A recent meta-analysis of the literature pointed out some interesting findings.
Regular low-dose drinking may provide protection from ishcemic heart disease. Low-dose alcohol increases high-density lipoproteins, inhibits platelet activation, reduces fibrinogen levels and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Moderate drinking has been linked to a reduced risk of Type II diabetes due to enhanced insulin sensitivity, metabolite production of acetaldehyde and acetate by oxidation and increased high-density lipoproteins. Heavy drinking is associated with cardiotoxicity because of negative effects on blood pressure, increased fibrinolytic factors (thickened blood) and cardiacventricular arrhythmias. Alcohol is a carcinogen. Cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectum and female breast are related to alcohol consumption. Increased drinking is associated with higher risk. It's worse when individuals have genetic defects or polymorphisms that impair enzyme pathways responsible for alcohol metabolism.
Here is a quick quiz to see if you understand the effects of alcohol and if you can recognize alcohol poisoning. The original quiz was posted on Medscape Michael D. Levine. Quiz: Do You Know the Signs of and Best Treatment for Alcohol Poisoning? Medscape. Dec 19, 2014.
How long after ingestion does ethanol alcohol reach its peak concentration? Circle your answer.