A drink or two during the holidays...

Whether it be a 4oz. glass of wine, a 12oz. beer or a 1.5 oz. shot of tequila; each one of these is equivalent to one standard drink. What better feeling then to have a glass of red wine, after a long day of work or a beer or two with a group of friends while watching a hockey game. Whatever the circumstances, alcohol consumption is integrated naturally in most lifestyles. At nightclubs, bars, family dinners, romantic dinners, and at simply any time and for any imaginable reason, alcohol is habitually involved.

As alcohol is being consumed, and all senses get depressed, one loses sight of the risks involved in taking in too much. What exactly is too much? Five "standard" drinks for men, four for women, drank one after the other, is what one defines as binge drinking. Such binging episodes can have harmful effects, but not as harmful as what is found among alcoholism. Yet, in the case of continual binging, the liver begins to get impacted thus affecting how our nutrients get metabolized. Alcohol binging isn't recognized as a concern, just because it is occasional and not necessarily a daily "addiction".

After those five drinks or more, the liver focuses on the elimination of the toxins brought on by the alcohol overload. Meanwhile, the liver neglects all of its other crucial duties, i.e. the storing of vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folate, as well as regulating cholesterol and sugar levels in the blood. Vitamin A deficiencies have been linked to heart and liver problems, anemia as well as muscle and nervous system damage.

In addition, vitamin B depletion leads to a vast array of symptoms particularly affecting the nervous system. One becomes mostly prone to disease and anemia because of the altered vitamin C metabolism. And finally, the higher levels of fat and sugar circulating in the blood due to binge drinking, becomes a potential tie to the increased risks of weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

On a positive note, let us not forget the great benefits found in a glass of wine... Found in higher amounts in red wine versus white, wine is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants have been connected to the prevention of cancer, heart disease and other inflammatory diseases. Like anything else in life, through moderation "joie de vivre" is experienced...

TIP: Moderation defined as 2 standard drinks for a man, 1 drink for a woman per day!