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If you’re like us, you enjoy a beer, cocktail, or glass of wine from time to time…meaning every day. Why even eat a meal if it can’t be washed down with a frosty, cold beer, right? But we’ve also been told from a young age that excessive drinking can cause a myriad of maladies, the scariest being liver failure. So yeah, we take that pretty seriously and stay hydrated (that’s how it works, right?). But even though there are obvious health risks involved in enjoying a tipple of whisky every few days, there are also documented health benefits. Check out some of the ones below that enable us to keep living our potentially unhealthy lifestyle without a single care.
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Health Benefits Of Alcohol
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Drinking Can Help Prevent Dementia
According to multiple studies, moderate drinking can actually reduce your risk of getting dementia later in life. But it should be known that excessive drinking can actually raise your chances. So, like with anything, it’s all about the moderation. Enjoy your cocktail. Just don’t have six.
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Drinking Can Protect Against the Common Cold
Sure, you’re looking forward to enjoying a hot toddy or three this winter when you inevitably get a cold. But, did you know that drinking that toddy before you get a cold could actually help prevent one in the first place? A study at Carnegie Mellon University found that moderate alcohol consumption in nonsmokers led to less colds. That’s the kind of medicine we like.
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Alcohol Is Better Than Water After a Workout
Well, this is probably stretching the truth a bit. But a Spanish study found that chugging a beer after working out is just as hydrating as sipping on an ice-cold glass of water. It may or may not be true, but we’d like to believe our friends in Spain on this one.
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Drinking Can Make Your Life Longer
You read that right: drinking alcohol can actually extend your life. According to a study by The Catholic University of Campobasso (yes, it’s a real place), imbibing a drink or two per day can lower your risk of death by 18 percent. So, drink up and (apparently) you might even live longer.
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Drinking Can Increase Your Sex Drive
We’ve all heard that getting sloshed can sometimes make sex difficult if your anatomy isn’t on the same page as your libido. But, according to a recent study, moderate drinking can actually lower the possibility of erectile dysfunction. Who needs Blue Chew when you’ve got Labatt Blue?
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Drinking Tequila Can Help You Lose Weight
Regardless of age, we all find ourselves on a diet from time to time. Most of them are terrible. But, what if you could drink tequila while dieting? According to a study from the American Chemical Society, the natural sugars found in tequila are perfect for dieters hoping to lose weight. Who knew tequila was a diet drink?
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Drinking Might Protect Your Heart
According to the School of Public Health at Harvard, drinking “moderate” amounts of alcohol can raise your levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein), the "good" cholesterol that protects you against heart disease. Grab a pint, your heart will thank you.
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Beer Is Chock Full of Vitamins
It doesn’t matter what beer you enjoy. All beer, due to its ingredients, is full of calcium, B vitamins, magnesium, riboflavin, and even iron, which helps with oxygen circulation. If that’s not a reason to stop by that new craft brewery on your way home from work, we don’t know what is.
