Drink Up

I’m standing before you today to discuss the issue of alcohol. Now, I’m not here to tell you whether you should drink or not drink; instead, I’m going to tell you what you should be drinking and why. Most of your life you’ve probably been told at some point that drinking isn’t good for you, and to some extent that statement is true. However, there are elements of drinking that are often left in the dark. My purpose isn’t to encourage you to go out and binge drink every night; instead I want to tell you that drinking in moderation is actually good for you and there are numerous benefits to responsible consumption.

The first issue that should be addressed, is the problems that arise with alcohol abuse. We all know that drinking large quantities of alcohol can lead to all sorts of health problems such as: internal organ failure, several different types of cancer, sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure, etc. It would be hard to say that people would want to actively destroy their bodies through the use of alcohol, which according to the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug abuse website, says is the number one drug among young people. However, these studies are only looking at the people who are problem drinkers. What it fails to address are the potential health benefits (yes there are in fact many benefits to drinking in moderation) and why people can profit from moderate drinking. Groups that often speak out against alcohol are also only referencing the statistics that work for them. They’ll use any evidence that potentially supports their cause, regardless of whether it is actually true or not.

Drinking can be good for you, it may be a difficult to grasp such a concept but research has proven there are health benefits to enjoying a brewski (or wine or hard liquor if that’s more to your liking). The Alcohol Problems and Solutions website says sensible drinking can help reduce the risk of diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures and osteperosis, kidney stones, digestive ailments, and stress and depression among other factors. So, you know that any of the potential negative affects that have been cited with drinking alcohol, can in fact be taken care of by drinking alcohol. However, it is important to note that moderate drinking means you’ll consume one 12-oz beer, a 5-oz glass of wine, or a shot of liquor in one sitting.

Another benefit of drinking alcohol, as cited by the Alcohol Problems and Solutions website, is that people who drink moderately, tend to live longer. The website points out that numerous studies around the world all revealed the same thing: people who drank a moderate amount of alcohol were less likely to die from all causes. Now, stop and think about that for a moment. If you drink alcohol in moderate amounts, keeping in mind the studies reference moderate drinkers, then you could potentially extend your life span. How many of you in this room would like to be able to live as long as possible? (Pause to survey the room to see who does, or doesn’t, raise their hands.)

There is only one more issue to address about alcohol that many people believe is true, despite there not being any research to bolster the myth: the classic beer belly syndrome. Does anybody here believe that drinking more alcohol will lead to excessive weight gain? (Pause to look around and see how many people believe it does) Well, there simply isn’t any evidence that shows people who drink alcohol will gain weight. In fact, research has shown that drinking alcohol can lead to women actually losing weight. The Alcohol Problems and Solutions website cited studies that, although they can’t determine exactly why alcohol won’t cause you to gain weight, it is believed that the energy in alcoholic beverages isn’t used efficently in your body, and drinking alcohol will actually increase your metabolic rate. Alcoholic beverages don’t contain any fat, cholestrol and only a small amount of sodium, and although alcoholic beverages differ in their nutritional value from drink to drink, drinking in moderation will not have any adverse affects on your weight.

Your greatest danger while drinking alcohol is not how many calories you’re consuming in your drink, but how many calories you take in from the meal you’re eating. If you want to stay in shape and still enjoy alcohol then go ahead; however, you should watch how much food you shovel into your face on a daily basis.

Now that you know the facts about alcohol, and a few of the myths like alcohol causing you to gain weight have been debunked, you can go out and enjoy that glass of wine, pint of beer, or shot of hard stuff. Go out, drink, and be merry!