Author Question: Is alcohol consumption more healthy for certain people and in different amounts? How might you ... (Read 82 times)

bcretired · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Is alcohol consumption more healthy for certain people and in different amounts? How might you explain these differences using a visual diagram or representation?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What role can tea or coffee play in amplifying or reducing stress effects?

What will be an ideal response?

FergA · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Moderate consumption of alcohol has anti-inflammatory effects but heavy consumption elevates proinflammatory cytokines. The evidence is strong that moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Numerous studies report a J shaped curve with the lowest risk of mortality occurring at moderate levels of alcohol use (the bottom of the J) followed by slightly higher mortality associated with abstinence (the beginning of the J) and then a sharply elevating mortality rate with heavy alcohol consumption (the stem of the J). The lowered risk of cardiovascular disease at moderate doses may be in part due to alcohol's low dose ability to reduce inflammation, raise HDL, and counteract blood clotting tendencies. For women, even one drink a day can slightly elevate the risk of breast cancer, so women who are already at higher breast cancer risk due to family history or other factors should not drink alcohol.

Answer to Question 2

One caveat for an individual who is under stress is to consider caffeine's stimulant effects on the nervous system. Caffeine has the ability to stimulate our body's neurons by lowering their threshold for excitability. As a result, caffeine activates the sympathetic-adrenal medulla axis (SAM) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) causing elevations in serum catecholamines and cortisol as well as mild increases in blood pressure especially under stressful conditions; and the cortisol effects are only partially lessened by developing a caffeine tolerance through daily caffeine intake.

High doses of caffeine are commonly associated with anxiety reactions, especially in individuals with anxiety disorders, whereas moderate doses are associated with reduced depressive symptoms and improved alertness, attention, and cognitive performance. The Mayo Clinic staff suggests that 500 to 600 mg per day of caffeine is a good cutoff point for avoiding caffeine's unwanted effects.