Moderate Intake of Alcohol - Literature review Example

Notably, the research findings are quick to point out that in this case drinking of alcohol means moderate use of alcohol and not binge drinking. The latter would cause more harm than good. Perhaps a glass of wine and beer or a shot of distilled alcohol would suffice. According to Hanson David paragraph 2, modest intake of wine, beer, or spirits has the effect of improving blood lipid profile by reducing bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol. (http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/about/f/faq17.html) Secondly, alcohol intake minimizes the production of fibrinogen as well as platelet agglutination which are all causal factors of blood clotting and ultimately heart attacks.

It also improves the mechanism of fibrinolysis which is basically the process of diss9olving blood clots. Another observation about alcohol and its positive contributions in preventing heart disease is that it alleviates stress thus reducing blood pressure. In addition, it reduces coronary artery spasm, reduces insulin in the blood and improves blood circulation in the body. Mukamal, Kenneth et al posit that the major cause of the majority of deaths in the US is heart disease related and moderate intake of alcohol can reduce this number considerably.

Nonetheless, before rejoicing over this recent development in the science of disease prevention it is noteworthy that this method of coronary heart disease prevention lacks credibility. This is because alcohol is highly addictive and it may not be possible to keep its intake at a moderate level, at least for most of us. Additionally, it may cause other diseases such as liver and kidney failure if one surpasses acceptable levels. Moreover, consumption of alcohol may lead to us of other drugs yet it is not beneficial to other bodily functions.

(Morton, 15-47) Hence there is a need to engage other methods of preventing coronary heart disease, for instance, good dietary habits, exercise, avoiding detrimental lifestyle habits like smoking, saturated fats, tackling stress among others. These simple steps are a sure way of keeping coronary heart disease at bay without risking further problems and complications through the use of alcohol.