Or is it just that healthy people drink more?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Moderate-drinking-may-help-older-men/2007/03/06/1172943416748.html

Older men who drink moderate amounts of alcohol may function better physically than either those who abstain completely or those who abuse alcohol, a new study suggests.

Moderate drinkers tend to be healthier in general than teetotalers or problem drinkers, Dr Peggy Cawthon of California Pacific Medical Centre in San Francisco and colleagues note. There is also evidence that moderate drinking may reduce inflammation.

Cawthon and colleagues compared functional limitations, physical performance and drinking history for 5,962 men aged 65 or older who were classified into five categories. Men who consumed five or more drinks on most days were classified as having a history of sustained excessive drinking, while those who responded positively to a questionnaire used to diagnose alcoholism were classified as problem drinkers.

Moderate drinkers were those who consumed between seven and 20 drinks per week and heavy drinkers were men who consumed 21 or more drinks weekly. Abstainers made up the final group.

Moderate drinkers scored about 3-5 per cent better on tests of physical function than the abstainers, the researchers found, while scores for heavy drinkers were about the same as those for the abstainers.

The abstainers were the most likely to report physical limitations to activities of daily living such as walking, climbing stairs, and doing heavy housework. The heavy alcohol users were only slightly less likely than abstainers to have these limitations.

Low-moderate users, meaning men who drank between seven and 14 drinks a week, were the least likely to have functional limitations, and were at 38 per cent lower risk of having these problems than abstainers.

The researchers call for more detailed studies to determine how alcohol use over time affects how functional status changes with age.

Of course BEER is good for you!
Australians have known this for centuries!

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[smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
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Yeeeeeeeeha.

(In moderation of course).  :P

Well... whilst this is a long held belief it may not be quite so true any more. New Scientist recently ran an article about recent studies that show a chemical arises through the breakdown of ethanol in your body which is extremely toxic. And I mean extremely. I can't find the magazine right now so I can't quote the name of the chemical but they now believe this stuff is the real culprit behind hangovers and such. The chemical causes muscular deterioration and is responsible for faces turning red in some people who are more prone than others - ever seen someones face go red after a few?

Anyway... moderation as always (as I sip a brew)

Then how come the severity of the hangover appears to depend on the 'quality' of the brew?

Quote:

Then how come the severity of the hangover appears to depend on the 'quality' of the brew?

Perhaps the alcohol content? More ethanol means more mystery chemical. Do you get hangovers when you drink midstrength?  ;)

Or it could be dodgy ingredients, and you are being poisoned by something else. Like poor russians cutting vodka with petrol, and south africans making beer from battery acid.

freediver wrote on Mar 9^th, 2007 at 5:53pm:

Then how come the severity of the hangover appears to depend on the 'quality' of the brew?

As always, things are complex. There are more chemicals at work than just this one, and the studies are as yet inconclusive so I will grant it is a theory, although a concerning one. For example, cheap wine is often aged quickly by adding a nice chemical called ethylene glycol... yep, anti-freeze. So I think cheap booze has plenty more nasties than the good stuff is what it boils down to.

The chemical I'm talking about is called acetaldehyde. Its not isolated to alcohol either, they have found it in tobacco smoke, exhaust fumes, coffee, yoghurt and more. It gives things a fruity taste. The article stub is here: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19325901.700-whats-your-poison.html but you need to be a subscriber to read it I'm afraid. An interesting point they raise however is that it exists in your mouth as a by-product of bacteria, but the great thing about this is they demonstrate that good oral hygene can stave off mouth and throat cancer (provided you don't smoke!). The gist of this article is that they are trying to come up with a drug that can protect you from hangovers! So its not all doom and gloom :)

Anyway... enough of my rambling!

BEER IS GOOD! :)

wrote on Mar 15^th, 2007 at 8:41pm:

BEER IS GOOD! :)

TOTALLY

Are you a brewer noodle? The missus and I brew all our own beer, very good stuff  8-)

zoso wrote on Mar 16^th, 2007 at 6:35pm:

wrote on Mar 15th, 2007 at 8:41pm: BEER IS GOOD! :) TOTALLY Are you a brewer noodle? The missus and I brew all our own beer, very good stuff  8-)

Crikey bozo! we finally agree!
I brew too ..... mine is  8 % ALC FERFENT.

Are you a brewer noodle? The missus and I brew all our own beer, very good stuff   "
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funny zoso..you funny little girl you.. :)  dont you mean the hubby and you?

home brew can be very potent and taste like sh1te.
When I have one I stick to my fave..



Does anyone have  favourite brand Carlton cold? VB? West End? etc.

wrote on Mar 16^th, 2007 at 10:55pm:

I brew too ..... mine is  8 % ALC FERFENT.

;D Gotta love a good strong drop

Ausgirl, what on earth are you on about? girl?

Homebrew only tastes bad when brewed poorly. You do it for long enough and get the hang of it, tastes very good indeed.

When we have money we drink Boags Draught or Coopers. Northern state beers are not quite what I call 'beer' ;)

Could have sworn Zoso you said you were a mum with 2 kids..cooking tea for them no less?

maybe i got mixed up with someone else.!!! :o

Coopers red label for me.
had an imported one from new zealand,  "Celtic" was the flavour, can't remember the brand.
Was possibly better than Coopers !!!  Not seen it since though.

pure blonde is ok.

Quote:

"Celtic" was the flavour, can't remember the brand.

Monteiths.

I thought it was great, until the lager bombs kicked in the following day. Great for constipation, too.  ;)

Aushole - larger bombs !!! HAHAHHAHAHA

Had some Coopers extra stout last night. (As part of the market survey.) Came in a tallie

Wow, great stuff.  Reals mens drink
So thick it is almost crunchy !! I think it has muscles on it. Spread some on bread, would be like a steak sandwich !!!

!! I think it has muscles on it ;D

this just keeps getting better:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Fruity-cocktails-count-as-health-food/2007/04/20/1176697047144.html

A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, US and Thai researchers say.

Adding ethanol - the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits - boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.

Any coloured fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Dr Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the US Department of Agriculture stumbled upon their finding unexpectedly.

They were exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage. Treating the berries with alcohol increased in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity, they found.

Any coloured fruit or vegetable is rich in antioxidants, which are chemicals that can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of compounds called free radicals.

Berries, for instance, contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. People who eat more of these fruits and vegetables have a documented lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.

The study did not address whether adding a little cocktail umbrella enhanced the effects.

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Isn't ethanol what's in beer also?

At various times in history peole used to drink beer, alcohol or vinegar as the water quality was very bad.

we are in a bad drought, water quality is worsening .... be prepared .  ;)

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22046556-2,00.html

NEW research, to be revealed at a conference of some of the world's top neuroscientists in Cairns today, has found alcohol does not kill off brain cells as always thought.

For years imbibers have been told a big night on the drink wipes out entire sections of human brain cell function with much the same destructive equivalent as a napalm bombing strike.

According to Queensland Brain Institute director Professor Perry Bartlett, this is not true.

There is no evidence drinking alcohol leads directly to the death of brain cells, he said.

"Some of the best studies, done in Italy, show a bottle of wine a night can reduce the risk of dementia in old age," Professor Bartlett said.

In moderation, alcohol has positive benefits for blood vessel health and stroke prevention. And, as an added bonus, new brain cells are generated every day of our lives.

Research by Professor Bartlett and his team has found we all have an inbuilt repair kit replenishing the more than 100 billion cells - or neurons - in our brain.

freediver wrote on Jul 16^th, 2007 at 12:37pm:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22046556-2,00.html NEW research, to be revealed at a conference of some of the world's top neuroscientists in Cairns today, has found alcohol does not kill off brain cells as always thought. For years imbibers have been told a big night on the drink wipes out entire sections of human brain cell function with much the same destructive equivalent as a napalm bombing strike. According to Queensland Brain Institute director Professor Perry Bartlett, this is not true. There is no evidence drinking alcohol leads directly to the death of brain cells, he said. "Some of the best studies, done in Italy, show a bottle of wine a night can reduce the risk of dementia in old age," Professor Bartlett said. In moderation, alcohol has positive benefits for blood vessel health and stroke prevention. And, as an added bonus, new brain cells are generated every day of our lives. Research by Professor Bartlett and his team has found we all have an inbuilt repair kit replenishing the more than 100 billion cells - or neurons - in our brain.

SWEET! 8-)  We're cool sprint!

I should be a genius !!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe drinking alcohol works for brains how survival of the fittest works for the wildebeest ??
The wildebeest that are slow, injured or infirmed get killed.
Making the breed as a whole stronger, faster tougher.

Maybe drinking kills off the weaker brain cells first? leaving on average the brain smarter, stronger, more alert.  

aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh     :)

I guess it should be - it tastes like medicine

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Australians-drinking-themselves-stupid/2007/08/06/1186252586268.html

The health system is about to be swamped by millions of Australians suffering alcohol-related brain injury.

And to make the situation worse, most of them are unaware they have a problem.

Results of research released on Monday claims the drinking habits of as many as two million Australians place them at risk of permanent brain damage.

The research conducted for the arbias (Acquired Brain Injury Assessment and Consulting) group by the Roy Morgan organisation says men who have six drinks a day for eight-to-ten years and women who have three drinks a day over the same period are at risk of alcohol-related brain injury.

Arbias CEO Sonia Berton is calling on the federal government and the alcohol industry to fund a $20 million education campaign to raise awareness and provide treatment for the problem.

"It's absolutely horrific and it's time people were told," Ms Berton said.

"Alcohol-related brain injury affects as many as one-in-eight Australians."

Ms Berton says one of the reasons the problem is so pervasive is a binge-drinking culture.