Wellness Wednesday

The Sobering Facts of Alcohol Consumption
Sometimes "Just One More" is Too Much

Summer time is finally upon us, and the heat can make us thirst for something more than water at times, especially when lounging by the pool. While a margarita pool side or a beer or two at a ball game isn't bad, could repeated binge drinking at summer parties start to have a toll on your body? Here's some ways that alcohol affects the aging process in order to keep you looking young for years to come:

1.   Moderation is Everything: Liver damage, dementia and skin aging are all side effects of repeated binge drinking. This is only true for drinking more than a glass or two during the entire day, however, as moderate drinking can have positive effects on such potential side effects of binge drinking. 
2.  Pack on the Fat: As you age the proportion of body fat to muscle becomes disproportionate, leaving you with less tone and more flab. The sugar introduced through alcohol consumption can speed this process if too much is consumed. According to the National Institute of Aging, a healthy person over the age of 65 should not drink more than seven drinks a week or three drinks a day. This would include 3 8oz beers or wine coolers or 3 1.5oz shots of 80 proof or under liquor.
3. You are What You Drink: Drinking accelerates the skin aging process. Wrinkles, puffiness, red cheeks, dryness, and purple capillaries are all signs of too much alcohol consumption over a lifetime. Alcohol also dehydrates the skin, and jaundice is a sign of liver failure.
4. Drinking Isn't Always the Best Medicine: Chronic conditions such as diabetes can be worsened by drinking. Alcohol can cause dangerously low blood sugar up to 24 hours after drinking. It may also raise blood pressure and create/prevent ulcers from healing. Drinking may also negatively interfere with prescribed medications you are taking as well. Heavy drinking also speeds up shrinking of the brain, leading to cognitive impairment and acceleration of of degenerative diseases. 

Remember, a glass a day isn't bad. However, massive binge drinking will only accelerate and worsen the aging process and any preexisting medical conditions.