Drinking: How Much Is Good, How Much Is Bad?

To celebrate this 300th post to SportsGeezer, Geezer is enjoying glass of wine. Or two. Should he have three? How about four? To answer the question, Geezer turns to a recent article in the Times of London, wherein Dr. Thomas Suttaford (never heard of him) attempts to explain to an inquiring reader how much alcohol consumption is good for your health, and how much is bad for your health. The good news, according to Dr. Suttaford, is that alcohol alters the balance of the fats in the blood, increases the cardioprotective high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL or “good” cholesterol) and reduces the amount of the pernicious, artery-threatening, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). The even better new is that some red wines contain polyphenols, which increase the advantages in all alcohols and reduce the amount of dangerous LDL, thereby giving additional protection to the arteries and causing some relaxation in the arterial muscles.  So far, Geezer surmises, Dr. Suttaford is the wisest of men. But wait. The medical expert also warns that regular overindulgence increases the risk of some cancers.  But what exactly is overindulgence?  Suttaford says up to four units of alcohol a day for a man, and up to three for a woman, is likely to be within safe limit, and that one or two drinks (units) a day appears to give the greatest longevity. Anything beyond that, Suttaford suggests, enters the realm of “not recommended,” at least by him. Read more.