To binge can purge your heart health
A binge is never healthy, whether it's with food or alcoholic beverages. And researchers are finding it's not just how much alcohol you consume over a period of time that influences your risk of death from multiple causes—it's also how much, and how often.
Researchers examined data that had been collected in a nationwide health survey. There were 44,000 participants, and nearly half of them responded that they were currently drinkers who had consumed at least 12 alcoholic beverages in the previous year.
For men who drank five or more drinks on the days they chose to drink, there was a 30 percent greater risk for death from heart disease compared to men who just had one drink at a time. The amount of alcohol consumed also correlated to an increased risk of death from cancer for the men.
What's interesting is that the more frequently a man drank seemed to lower his risk for death from heart disease. For example, drinking 120 to 365 days per year brought a 20 percent decrease in risk of heart disease death than men who drank only one to 36 days per year.
But frequent drinking brought different results for women: an increased risk of cancer. Also, a greater quantity consumed also meant a greater risk of death from all causes.
Prior studies have shown that across the board, if you drink too much, your risk of dying from heart disease increases along with it. Moderate drinking, however, has always been shown to have a protective effect on heart health.
If you tend to drink rarely but a lot on those occasions, this new data is particularly important for you. Stick to a drink or two—and be around to enjoy them more often.
