Cheers!

[Nords]

Low testosterone levels, and all that goes along with that, for one.

Say no more!

 

[kumquat]

One of my good buddies is a doc who used to say (to her friends only) "I've never been to the autopsy of an alcoholic with a coronary problem.

 

[haha]

Low testosterone levels, and all that goes along with that, for one.

For more reasons, orange is not a pretty color for skin, nor yellow for eyes, and a belly full of fluid is not very comfortable. It's like being a waterbed, insted of lying on one.

Ha

 

[Ronstar]

Seems almost too good to be true...

Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds - TIME

Excellent! It's a good thing I stocked up with more beer.

 

[Dawg52]

Seems almost too good to be true...

Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds - TIME

Why do you think the average lifespan continues to increase year after year? Good med's! I rest my case.

 

[MichaelB]

Interesting piece from slate.com

How, exactly, does booze extend your lifespan?

It seems to decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes, although no one knows exactly how that happens. Researchers are nearly certain that regular consumption of alcohol increases levels of HDL, the so-called "good cholesterol," although physicians disagree on whether this can account for the decrease in heart disease among drinkers. Generally speaking, those who consume two beverages per day increase their HDL levels by between 5 percent and 10 percent, which some believe corresponds to a 10 percent reduction in risk for heart disease. Alcohol might also serve to reduce clotting and improve your heart's pumping efficiency, but these results aren't as well-established. A few studies have shown that drinking improves insulin sensitivity, which lowers your risk for diabetes, itself a risk factor for heart disease. For all that, a lack of ironclad data has left the door open to a handful of nonbelievers, who think confounding variables and shoddy methodology undermine all of the studies. They argue that the supposed health effects of alcohol might be better explained by the fact that people who drink in moderation have a healthier lifestyle all around....
How does booze extend your lifespan? - By Brian Palmer - Slate Magazine

As to choice of beverage

Bonus Explainer: If I'm going to drink for my health, which is the most potent potable?
It probably doesn't matter. Early studies suggested that red wine was the best choice, but most people now attribute those findings to confounding variables. A Danish statistician, for example, reviewed supermarket receipts and found that people who buy wine are more likely to buy olives, fruits, and vegetables, while beer drinkers buy more sugar, butter, chips, prepared foods, and soft drinks. Some researchers argue that alcoholic beverages offer antioxidant benefits, though it's not clear whether those differ from one drink to another, or, indeed, whether they exist at all. And don't even think about drinking red wine for the anti-aging chemical resveratrol. No one really understands what it does, and studies on rodents suggest you'd need to consume at least 100 bottles a day for any effect.

When my FIL suffered a heart attack, a (Venezuelan) cardiologist friend suggested he switch his daily drink from rum to scotch whiskey and explained that scotch would lower triglycerides (vs rum). I always attributed that to Venezuela's love affair with scotch whiskey.

 

[Nords]

I always attributed that to Venezuela's love affair with scotch whiskey.

He was probably hoping to get better data for his study...

 

[Alan]

Thanks for that article Michael.

I've known a lot of heavy beer drinkers (and still do) back in my home town in England. Beer has lots of calories in sugars that are easily digested and the resulting beer bellies and upper body fat has caused many of them to have coronary problems.

I have visited my home a lot, and in the bar of our local pub the "members" are well acquainted with my usual drink of a whiskey (0.8 oz is the UK measure) and a glass of iced water. Even so, the folks I'm with will down 6 pints while I get through 3 whiskeys.

Although my brother went to university he got his degree in mining engineering and has remained in that culture and drinks lots of beer. He is 3 years younger than me but is obese with many of the associated problems including hypertension. I am so fortunate to have got away from that social setting as I probably would be in the same condition.

 

[jIMOh]

I've always wondered about the recommended amounts of alcohol by gender...usually men are allowed twice the amount for females.

Yeah right.

I think I'll go pour myself a nice glass of Hazlett Red Cat wine.

Cough syrup also works

that is my MIL's favorate wine
too sweet for my blood