November 28, 2011  |         LIKE THIS ARTICLE ? Join our mailing list: Sign up to stay up to date on the latest Personal Health headlines via email.        

We know too much drinking can be hazardous to our health. but new research suggests that drinking too little might be hazardous, too.

I don’t want to go to rehab, but a raft of recent studies show that moderate alcohol consumption lowers our risks for many dire conditions including heart disease, stroke, gallstones, diabetes and dementia. some studies even suggest that the answer to pesky menopause symptoms comes in six-packs and goes great with pretzels.

The keyword here is "moderate." some studies define this as one drink per week; others as up to four drinks per day. this haziness notwithstanding, these studies show that heavy drinkers are far more likely than moderate drinkers to die from certain diseases.

But so are people who don’t drink at all.

It’s a bell curve. but while one half of the bell is well, duh, the other half — the half involving abstinence — is pretty shocking. In study after study, abstainers get sick and die sooner and in larger numbers than moderate drinkers.

In these studies, "you get this protective effect no matter what you drink: wine, beer or liquor," says nutrition therapist Karen Scheuner.

Absinthe, beaujolais, King Cobra: It’s all good — or good for you.

"the benefits don’t increase with amount," Scheuner says, "and they disappear altogether if you consume four or more drinks per day."

A study published this summer found that women who consume one drink daily and men who consume two drinks daily are 23 percent less likely than nondrinkers to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Heavy drinkers, defined here as consumers of at least three to five drinks daily, face higher Alzheimer’s risks than both moderate drinkers and abstainers. (Well, duh.)

And a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that, compared to abstinence, drinking one to three alcoholic beverages daily is associated with a 33 to 56 percent lower incidence of diabetes — and imbibing over three drinks daily is associated with a 43 percent higher incidence of diabetes. (Duh again.)

A study presented two months ago at the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress found that both abstainers and heavy drinkers are nearly one and a half times as likely to develop asthma as are moderate drinkers, defined here as consumers of one to six alcoholic beverages per week. Abstainers face the highest asthma risk of all, topping even that of heavy drinkers.

A 2007 study found that drinking at least one alcoholic beverage daily is associated with a 30-percent lower risk than abstinence of developing one type of kidney cancer. but its authors warn that alcohol consumption — light, heavy and moderate — is linked with increased rates of breast cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, esophageal cancer and other cancers. I don’t like those odds.

A study published in the new England Journal of Medicine that tracked over 22,000 men for more than 12 years found that those who regularly consumed as little as one drink a week had a lower stroke risk than did abstainers. a study published in the Journal of Urology that tracked over 120,000 men found that those who regularly consumed at least 1.3 ounces of alcohol daily — about half as much as is found in your average Manhattan — had a 35-percent lower risk than abstainers did of developing prostatic hyperplasia, whose symptoms include incontinence and a wide array of other urinary woes.

Other recent studies found moderate drinkers facing significantly less risk than abstainers for macular degeneration, arthritis, osteoporosis — and even death itself.

A 2010 study found that abstainers’ all-cause mortality rate is twice as high as that of moderate drinkers. Examining death rates among middle-aged people, this study also found a 70 percent higher mortality rate for heavy drinkers than for moderate drinkers. so does abstaining mean you’ll die that much sooner than both your social-drinker, daiquiri-a-day ex and alcoholic Uncle Joe, who blacks out in alleyways?

Do these symptoms seem like allergies to you?
well you see,
little pollen fluffballs are floating around and my nose is stuffed up and my ears feel clogged, when someones talking to me I always ask "what" because I hear it all muffly or something… I'm really worried, recently I just had an ear infection and maybe crap is just still stuck in my ear. Can you please help me? I'm thirteen years old and really worried I'm afraid my hearing will be bad forever. please dont scare me. IM FREAKING OUT!

I have all the classical symptoms. My pms is horrible and I am very irritable, stressed, and depressed most of the time. I lost interest in sex. Some days I am so fatigued I can hardly stand it and the terrible insomnia I have makes it even worse. I have night sweats too. but what really tops it off is the anxiety and panic attacks, which I already have but it was under control. now I have anxiety and panic attacks all the time and when I get my period it is even worse. Natural supplements did not work for me. I just do not know how much longer this is going to last. I can not take it any more. I have had perimenopause symptoms for many years, but now over the last 6 months things have really raged out of control. does this possibly mean I could be reaching the end? I hope so. please, let me know what you think and share your perimenopause experiences with me. thank you.

You don't mention your age, but all my "perimenopause" symptoms turned out to be chronic Lyme and babesia, along with severe electrosensitivities, so I would research both.

Lymenet:

flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.…

Microwave Sickness – Electrical Sensitivity & Hypersensitivity:

ei-resource.org/illness-infor…

Since technically I was "menopausal" and doctors were not concerned, even though I was too young – and since I was able to reverse it with Lyme/babs treatment and avoidance of EMF/RF exposure, ask me if I'll ever believe menopause is ever normal – not a chance.

Women continue to produce eggs until death, just like guys produce sperm…

boston.com/news/nation/articl…

…but when you have a bunch of male researchers determining what is and is not normal for a woman, of course it would stand to reason to guys, as virile as they are, that it would be 'normal' to a male researcher for a woman to run out of eggs right around the time she's no longer a sex goddess to him.

mood lability is normal.

This is a common complaint of women going through menopause, especially the anxiety/panic attacks returning. you probably need to get some meds for those. Taking some meds will helps ease your other symptoms also. see your doc, they might want to try some hormones like birth control pills to ease symptoms.

In a 5year old. Please leave out the "take him to the doctor" comments. Just curious before his appointment.

I'm not sure, but you can go to this website:

myelectronicmd.com/symptom.ph…

she has these pimple like red bumps on her left ribcage area. she says theyre extremely painful and "hurts to the bone" (it feels like her bones are in pain as well.) i've noticed she has been really tired lately so she sleeps all day.. does anyone know what it could be?

It could be lupus. and that'd be serious. See a Doctor.

Are the pimple like red bumps clustered to each other? If so, then it could be herpes zoster.

It could be chicken pox…

It sounds like shingles, it says it can effect any part of the body

betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2…

Can we have a baby without me getting infected?

EVENTUALLY YOU WILL GET HPV AS FAR AS THE BABY I BELIEVE IT IS 50/50

YES YOU CAN STILL HAVE A BABY BUT YOU MIGHT WANNA LET HER DOCTOR KNOW SHE HAS HPV. YOU SHOULD ASK HER DOCTOR IF SHE COULD HAVE A C-SECTION THAT WAY THEIRS NO DANGER TO THE BABY, I KNOW IT'S RARE BUT SOMETIMES THE MOTHER CAN PASS ON THE WARTS TO THE BABY IF ITS BORN VAGINALLY.

yes but u would have to get frutility (don't know if i spelled that right) treats ment and i would also get a c sectoin so if would have it the baby would have a smaller chance of getting it durning birth
but thats just what i would do i mean i wouldn't want my baby being infected sorry if i misspelled anything i was in a rush

yes, but be aware you could have the "disease" w/o symptoms & during pregnancy worts may appear

YA CAN WATCH FOR THRUSH!IF YA'LL HAVE ONE

Talk to a Doctor first please. Pregancy is hard enough with no problems.

Depending on what type of HPV strain you are infected with, you may or may not experience any HPV symptoms. Those infected with what is known as "low risk" HPV will likely just have one HPV symptom: genital warts. These can develop anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after exposure to the virus. Genital warts look like miniature cauliflower florets, which are usually flesh-colored, soft and moist. they can develop on the vulva, cervix and in or around the vagina. HPV in men who have a strain that causes genital warts may develop the warts on the scrotum or penis. Both sexes may also develop genital warts symptoms in or around the anus and occasionally on the thighs, buttocks or throat. However, it is possible to have an HPV infection without any genital warts symptoms.
Women who have genital warts during pregnancy may notice that their warts grow quicker and larger during their pregnancy. Having an outbreak during your pregnancy, and especially when you deliver, can cause problems. it is possible to pass the warts on to your child during a vaginal birth, which then develops in the throat (known as laryngeal papillomatosis). This can be life threatening to your child.

You can have a baby, but there will be a strong likelihood that his genital warts will be transmitted to you. if you do develop genital warts, please advise your doctor of the chances, because this will determine if you would have a vaginal birth, or a c-section.

Consult with your doctor, prior to making any decisions. is this child worth the warts?

Research and Educate yourself…

yes but watch it doesn't turn into a toad

Having genital warts causes no problem with fertility. I would suggest that your partner have genital warts treated before you start trying to have a baby, to reduce or eliminate the chances of you getting infected.
Condom usage does not protect against genital warts. there is very effective treatment for genital warts in men – a cream called "Aldara" – that will eliminate the warts in the man. it is best for you not to have intercourse while he is still untreated.

I caught whooping cough in may. it felt awful, i was being sick about 20 – 40 times a day, dry heaving and coughing so hard id sometimesz pee. (too much detail i know)
I am still coughing very hard, fluids are still coming out my eyes and nose when i do, im sick about once a week now, but its really wearing me out. I have been to see the doc again and he said "cougs do take a while to go" but this is getting ridiculous. I havent been able to run around with my kids because the slightest bit of excitment and im off doing the mad choking routine. Does anyone out there have any advice? or have you gone through it yourself…and how long did your symptoms last?

Get a referral to an allergist. If your doctor will not do it, go to the E.R. when your coughing symptoms are worse coz you will need a breathing treatment. I don't want to diagnose you, but sound like me when I finally developed full blown asthma….

Took me about 6 months but I was back at work after a few weeks. can be pretty rough.

I was living in a room that had mouldy walls from seeping moisture. it may have had something to do with it I don't know.

Hope you start feeling better soon, sounds awfull

i think my mom has dyslexia because whenever i asked her with my homework she couldnt answer me so evenuatlly i stopped asking her and tonight i asked her to help me study for my drivers ed state test and when she was reading the questions; she kept stuttering over the words and reading too fast and kept asking me wat words were like "permissible" and "merge" were. it's like that with all my homework; she cant help with math cuz she cant do simple addition & subtraction (when we go to the bank or adds something she'll get her caculator instead of adding it in her head) or she cant help with english because she doesnt understand it and she cant spell the simplest words like "because" or "holding" & she doesnt know how to use the correct tense of words like run and ran…she'll say "runned"

could she be dyslexic?

It is entirely possibly your mother has dyslexia, and if not picked up as a child she would have slipped through the education system.

My mother could not read or write, she learnt to read around 40. It turns out she had dyslexia, as does my daughter and I. My daughter and I also have dyscalculia (maths) and my daughter has dysgraphia (writing). I was 14 when I learnt to read, and I was teased fairly badly because of it.

My poor mother was embarrassed (I was mortified) when I was accused of forging an absent note for school, dad made mum write a copy of the note, in front of the headmaster to prove I did not forge the note. a bit late after I had got detention. Sadly I was mad at mum for days, if she was alive today I would apologize, as I did not know she or I had dyslexia.

The links below explain what dyslexia is, the top link is the signs and symptoms of dyslexia, the next shows what dyslexics see.

Your mother can learn to read if she is given the encouragement, support and patience to do so. What ever the cause please encourage her to get some help, so she is very capable of learning to read, what ever her age.

If you want any tips on how to help her please send me an email.

Go to my free site, geocities.com/carjug , and force your mom to read the Tongue Twisters and the first five or so poems, all the way to Casey at the Bat. If she has a miracle cure and starts having a lot of fun , then she has a reading problem that is not dyslexia. Not likely, but worth a shot, and you will have to hog-tie her to get her to do it!
does she read aloud? This is a tell-tale symptom of dyslexia.
beingdyslexic.co.uk
Google Sally Shaywitz and Brain, limit the search to images.
Books on tape. Library. just do It.

an oncologist who took a lot of blood. I have an MRI scheduled for Monday. would they have found or seen the pancreatic cancer if it were there? They have not found anything yet. I have also had 2 endoscopy's and 1 colonoscopy. I itch and have nausea and heartburn and have lost 20 pounds!

Keep getting it checked because pancreatic cancer generally shows no symptomatic signs until it has moved to other areas of the body outside of the pancreas. the pancreas is in a well hidden area so it's vital that you get pet scans and Mri's on a regular basis until you feel 100% clear, also itching , a sore back and high blood sugar are symptoms.
I lost my sister at age 48 to pancreatic cancer and it was initially thought to be Gall stones that caused her Jaundice.
webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-c…

What are these "symptoms" of which you speak of that has your doctors baffled when all the diagnostic test prove you have nothing whoringwith you – Nausea, heatburn, 20 pounds weight loss does not automatically equate pancreatic cancer. It could be something with your gallbladder.

You won't have pancreatic cancer symptoms till it spreads beyond the pancreas, then it would have been found with all the scans and probes and bloodwork you've had done. A tumor will show up..

It appears you are leaving out information.
Why are you seeing an oncologist?

Those do not sound like symptoms of Pancreatic cancer at all. I am sure you are fine.

FORT LAUDERDALE ? The professional staff of the Broward County Addiction Recovery Center (BARC) is calling on residents to be mindful of their alcohol consumption.

The call comes as the nation begins observing Alcohol Awareness Month.

"Although many people may realize that alcohol use can be harmful, it is still one of the most abused legal substances in the world and, because of this, it is important that the public be made aware of the consequences of alcohol abuse not only during Alcohol Awareness month but on a regular basis," Paul Faulk, director of BARC, said in a statement.

BARC said in Broward County around 2,200 people annually benefit from the center?s residential and outpatient treatment and support services; more than 1,800 get medically supervised drug and alcohol withdrawal treatment; and nearly 800 take part in non-residential day treatment programs.

The center, located at 1000 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale, caters to Broward County residents 18 and older. they pay for? services on a sliding fee scale.

Faulk said alcohol abuse affects everybody, directly or indirectly, and it is necessary for the public to be knowledgeable of the problems brought about by alcohol abuse, as well as the solutions to those problems.

Alcohol and alcoholic beverages are grouped under drugs called depressants, which are drugs that alter the function of the central nervous system by affecting the neurons. this results in symptoms such as drowsiness, poor motor coordination, slurred speech and lack of judgment. Alcohol itself has many detrimental effects on the body, including pancreatitis and liver disease, the center said.

The center said people are aware that alcohol is a dangerous drug but are unaware of exactly how much danger it poses to society, in general. The center cites the following statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Help Center:

? almost 14 million Americans, or one in 13 adults, are alcohol abusers. less than 25 percent of them get necessary treatment every year.

? About one in four children younger than 18 have been exposed to alcohol abuse.

? People who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become dependent on alcohol, compared to those who begin drinking at age? 20 or older.

? Underage drinking is more likely to kill young people than illegal drugs. About five U.S students die each day as a result of alcohol-related injuries.

? Alcoholism is the third leading cause of preventable death in America, causing the death of about 85,000 Americans every year.

? About 75 percent of abusive spouses have been drinking prior to or at the time of the abuse.

? Fetal Alcoholic Spectrum Disorders is the leading preventable cause of birth defects in the United States.

? a quarter of all emergency room admissions, a third of all suicides and more than half of all homicides and incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related.

"These statistics are staggering and eye-opening and should be taken seriously, and we at BARC are ready to assist our residents," Faulk said.

to access BARC?s services other than detoxification, call the Admission Office at 954-357-4851. for more information on the center, visit broward.org/AddictionRecovery