Introduction: Chinese wine culture has a long history, dating back to the ancient Shang and Zhou dynasties. It is not only a treasure in Chinese cuisine culture but also an important part of Chinese civilization. The history of wine almost synchronizes with the development of Chinese civilization, witnessing the rise and fall of the Chinese nation and carrying profound cultural connotations.
Wine, as one of the oldest foods for humans, has a history that almost parallels human cultural history. It is not only a delicious delicacy to satisfy people’s appetites but also a unique material culture.
In traditional Chinese culture, wine holds a significant position, indispensable in celebrations, banquets, and rituals. Additionally, wine possesses rich spiritual and cultural values, symbolizing friendship, reunion, and joy, serving as a bridge for emotional communication among people.
Moderate wine consumption does have certain health benefits, such as promoting blood circulation and alleviating fatigue. However, this does not mean excessive drinking is permissible. Long-term and heavy drinking can cause severe harm to the body, such as liver damage, neurological issues, and even trigger alcohol dependence. Therefore, while enjoying fine wine, one must also pay attention to the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption.
The World Health Organization has classified alcohol as a “Group 1 carcinogen,” indicating the significant health hazards it poses. Furthermore, alcohol also has addictive properties, making it difficult to break free from its grip. Hence, it is essential to remind ourselves not to drink excessively and to control the intake.
Regardless of the reasons for drinking, efforts should be made to reduce alcohol consumption. For men, abstaining from alcohol for an extended period can lead to noticeable physical changes.
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Increased Alcohol Consumption in Chinese Men Linked to 61 Diseases
The rising trend of alcohol consumption among Chinese men is closely associated with various health risks, a social phenomenon that cannot be ignored. Alcohol often becomes an indispensable aspect of various celebrations, gatherings, and social events. However, for many adults in China, excessive drinking not only fails to bring joy but may also pose health risks.
In recent years, researchers from Peking University and the University of Oxford jointly published a significant comprehensive analysis in the prestigious medical journal “Nature Medicine.” This research, involving 512,000 adults and spanning a 12-year follow-up, revealed that 41% of the participants were men, reflecting the prevalent alcohol consumption among men in Chinese society.
After in-depth analysis and research, it was found that the alcohol intake among Chinese men is positively correlated with the risk of developing up to 61 diseases. These diseases span across various areas, including cancer, gastric ulcers, gout, cataracts, diabetes, and more. This finding undoubtedly serves as a warning for men who are fond of alcohol consumption.
So, what diseases are people who drink daily prone to?
According to clinical data, alcohol consumption has close associations with various diseases like cardiomyopathy, cerebral atrophy, gastric mucosal lesions, atherosclerosis, esophagitis, and pancreatitis. These diseases not only severely compromise the patient’s physical health but can also significantly impact their quality of life and lifespan.
More significantly, Chinese men are more susceptible to alcohol-related cancers. Global data shows that as high as 5.5% of cancer occurrences and 5.8% of cancer deaths are attributable to alcohol. This statistic is alarming and prompts a reconsideration of the relationship between alcohol consumption and health.
Why are Chinese individuals more prone to cancer due to alcohol consumption? This is primarily linked to inherent “genetic defects” in the population. Studies have revealed that many Chinese people carry mutated genes related to aldehyde dehydrogenase. This genetic defect leads to increased production of acetaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance during alcohol metabolism. Hence, individuals with this genetic defect face a significantly higher cancer risk when consuming alcohol.
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Harms of Regular Alcohol Consumption on the Body
Inducing Dementia
Alcohol, being a central nervous system depressant, can impair the normal function of the nervous system with long-term heavy intake, leading to memory decline, delayed reactions, and potentially causing dementia.
Causing Cirrhosis
Alcohol damages the liver, making long-term drinkers susceptible to alcoholic liver disease, with severe cases progressing to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Triggering Digestive Disorders
Furthermore, alcohol can harm the gastrointestinal mucosa, leading to conditions like gastritis and gastric ulcers.
Impact on the Cardiovascular System
Alcohol raises blood pressure, increasing the heart’s workload. Prolonged exposure can lead to conditions like hypertension, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, alcohol affects blood lipid metabolism, elevating cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood, raising the risk of atherosclerosis.
Causing Emotional Instability
In terms of mental health, long-term alcohol consumption can have negative effects. Alcohol is a psychoactive substance, and consistent intake can lead to dependency and addiction, disrupting normal work and life. Moreover, it can cause emotional instability, irritability, anxiety, and in severe cases, even trigger mental illnesses like depression.
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Visible Changes in Men’s Bodies from Long-term Abstinence from Alcohol
Improved Liver Function
As alcohol is commonly consumed for relaxation and socializing, its metabolism heavily relies on the liver. The liver, a vital detoxifying organ, converts alcohol into harmless substances. However, prolonged heavy drinking imposes a significant burden on the liver, akin to a mountain pressing down on it, threatening its health constantly.
In particular, long-term heavy drinking causes fat accumulation in the liver, leading to fatty liver. Fatty liver is an early sign of liver disease that, if left unchecked, can progress to alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other severe conditions. These diseases not only reduce liver function but can also trigger a series of systemic symptoms like jaundice, ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, posing a significant threat to the patient’s health.
Fortunately, when men stop drinking, the burden on the liver gradually reduces. With adequate rest and nutritional support, liver cells repair and regenerate, significantly improving liver function. This improvement is evident not only in liver function indicators like transaminase and bilirubin levels but also in the general vitality experienced in daily life.
Enhanced Cardiovascular Health
The impact of alcohol on the cardiovascular system is crucial. While it may offer temporary pleasure in the short term, long-term heavy drinking poses a serious threat to cardiovascular health.
Alcohol stimulates the body’s nervous system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. This temporary blood pressure rise may cause discomfort but, more importantly, sustained high blood pressure from long-term heavy drinking can become the norm, subsequently elevating the risk of hypertension. Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, potentially leading to consequences like cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, strokes, among other severe outcomes.
Nevertheless, as men become aware of alcohol’s hazards on the cardiovascular system and decide to quit drinking, gradual improvements are observed in cardiovascular health. Reduced alcohol intake gradually eases the heart’s burden, allowing cardiac muscle cells to repair and regenerate, improving heart function. Additionally, physiological indicators like blood pressure and heart rate stabilize over time, significantly boosting the overall cardiovascular health.
Enhanced Sleep Quality
Alcohol, as a common beverage ingredient, indeed possesses sedative properties, temporarily aiding in relaxation and emotional relief. However, this sedative effect is fleeting, and excessive alcohol intake quickly reveals its negative impact, especially on sleep quality.
Excessive drinking disrupts the body’s natural sleep patterns, leading to decreased sleep quality. Alcohol interferes with sleep cycles, reducing deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep duration, both vital for physical and mental rejuvenation. Deep sleep aids in body repair and regeneration, while REM sleep is closely linked to memory consolidation and emotional regulation.
Upon discontinuation of alcohol consumption, men experience gradual improvements in sleep quality. As alcohol is metabolized and eliminated, the body returns to its normal physiological state, and sleep patterns gradually normalize. Men may find it easier to fall asleep, experience less disturbance during sleep, and witness an increase in the duration of deep and REM sleep.
Effective Weight Management
Alcohol, a prevalent beverage ingredient, harbors an undeniable fact: it contains a significant amount of calories. If consistently consumed in excess, these excess calories, rather than being readily utilizable, accumulate as fat deposits in the body, leading to weight gain and potentially inducing obesity.
For men, prolonged drinking often coincides with a gradual increase in body weight. The calories present in alcohol not only directly contribute to obesity but more critically, they interfere with body metabolism. Metabolism is the comprehensive term for the energy conversion and material metabolism essential for sustaining life activities internally. Any disruption to this process diminishes the body’s efficiency in digesting, absorbing, and utilizing nutrients from food, consequently promoting weight gain.
However, when men decide to cease drinking, they undergo a series of positive physical transformations. Initially, reduced alcohol intake implies a lower caloric intake. This reduction assists in diminishing fat accumulation within the body, aiding in weight control. Furthermore, as alcohol metabolism and elimination progress, the body’s metabolism gradually normalizes. Enhanced metabolism results in a more efficient digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients from food, further promoting weight control.
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Is There a Safe Alcohol Intake? A Reference Formula
Despite the various potential harms of alcohol consumption, there are circumstances, such as work-related functions or social gatherings, where people may need to consume alcohol. So, how can we minimize alcohol’s impact on the body in such situations?
It is essential to understand that there is no entirely “safe” alcohol intake level because individuals vary in their physical conditions and metabolic capacities. However, based on extensive research and medical experts’ recommendations, a relatively reasonable reference range can be provided.
Due to the physiological differences between men and women, it is advisable for men to limit their daily alcohol intake to no more than 25 grams of pure alcohol (equivalent to about 62.5 ml of spirits or two bottles of beer), while for women, given their lighter weight and slower metabolism, the recommended daily alcohol intake should not surpass 15 grams (equivalent to about 37.5 ml of spirits or a bottle of beer). This range is based on average data from the general population and may not be applicable to everyone, especially individuals with pre-existing health issues.
To determine alcohol intake more precisely, we can refer to a formula recommended by Jia Jidong, Director of the Liver Disease Research Center at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University: Alcohol Volume (ml) × Alcohol Concentration (%) × 0.8 = Alcohol Intake (grams). This formula aids in calculating the amount of alcohol consumed while drinking, enabling better control over alcohol intake.
As an example, taking a 500 ml bottle of beer with an alcohol concentration typically around 3.7%. According to this formula, we can determine: 500 ml × 3.7% × 0.8 = 14.8 grams. In other words, drinking a 500 ml bottle of beer in a day results in an alcohol intake of approximately 14.8 grams, close to but not exceeding the recommended daily alcohol consumption limit for men.
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Mastering 3 Tricks to Ease the Discomfort of Alcohol Intoxication
Acupressure
There exists an acupuncture point named “Neiguan” on the inside of the wrist, three-finger widths from the wrist crease. By gently pressing and rotating this point with the thumb for about a minute each time, it can help alleviate post-alcohol nausea and dizziness.
Healthy Diet
Consuming foods rich in vitamin B and vitamin C is a good choice. For instance, a glass of fresh orange juice, rich in vitamin C, can accelerate alcohol metabolism. Similarly, incorporating vitamin B-rich foods like whole wheat bread, oats, etc., aids in liver repair, reducing alcohol’s harmful effects on the body.
Moderate Drinking
While alcohol consumption is a part of many social gatherings, it is crucial to acknowledge that moderate drinking ensures enjoyment without causing harm to the body. Before drinking, consume some food to slow down alcohol absorption. Additionally, control alcohol intake to avoid the discomforts of excessive drinking.
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Further Reading: How Long Does It Take for the Body to Normalize After Quitting Alcohol?
Short-term, Moderate Drinkers
For individuals who drink moderately for the short term and have good physical health, the body can recover within 1-3 months of quitting alcohol. As these individuals consume limited amounts of alcohol for a short time and have not developed severe alcohol dependence, their recovery is faster.
Long-term, Heavy Drinkers
For long-term heavy drinkers, recovery after quitting alcohol takes a relatively longer time. They may already have conditions like alcoholic liver disease, liver damage, necessitating an extended period to repair the damaged organs. Post-alcohol cessation, this group might require 2-3 years or even longer to gradually recover.
