A Few Reasons to Consume Less Alcohol

A Few Reasons to Consume Less Alcohol

A glass of good wine or a cold beer can make a nice evening that much more enjoyable. However, many people don’t stop to consider the health effects of their alcohol consumption. If you find yourself drinking often, you may want to consider a few reasons to cut back.

Alcohol is high in calories.

If you’re trying to shed a few unwanted pounds, that glass of merlot or craft brew won’t be helping. Many people don’t pay attention to the calories in alcohol, but a few drinks can set you back over a meal’s worth of calories. If you’re dieting but still want to enjoy that glass of wine once in a while, just be sure to limit yourself to one or two drinks at a time and limit the number of nights in a week that you consume alcohol.

You’ll save money.

If you drink regularly, you’ll find that the cost of alcohol quickly adds up, especially if you drink while dining out. If you’re looking to have some extra money left at the end of the month, consider cutting down on the number of drinks you have per week.

Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to health issues.

While most of us enjoy a drink from time-to-time, it is important to realize that heavy alcohol consumption can lead to a variety of health issues. Some health issues caused by heavy alcohol consumption include anemia, a higher risk of cancer, a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, gout, pancreatitis, and cirrhosis.

Consuming alcohol can lead to sleep and mood issues.

Heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to mood issues such as depression. It has also been shown to interfere with sleep patterns, and this can further aggravate any mental health issues already present.

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Too much alcohol can lead to impaired decision making.

Around 28% of deaths caused by traffic crashes each year are due to people driving while under the influence of alcohol. While drinking can be enjoyable, it also leads to poorer decision making and slowed reaction times. There is a reason that traffic deaths tend to spike around holidays filled with drinking, such as Memorial Day. If you plan on drinking, make sure you don’t get behind the wheel. And if you choose to abstain, try to volunteer to drive anyone who has had a bit too much home. You could save a life.

As with everything, moderation is key. There is no harm in enjoying the occasional fine wine with dinner or cold beer after a long day at work, but make sure that consuming alcohol is not affecting your health, mood, or life decisions.

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