Experts warned that over-indulgence could pose severe health risks
A little alcohol combined with a healthy active lifestyle may be the best recipe for a longer life.
A European Heart Journal study suggests the combination can cut the risk of heart disease.
A Danish team found people who led an active lifestyle were less prone to heart disease - but the risk was cut still further if they drank moderately.
However, UK experts warned people should not be encouraged to drink, as too much alcohol can be very damaging.
Physical activity has shown greater benefits to heart health and overall health in previous research compared to drinking alcohol
Ellen Mason
British Heart Foundation
The researchers followed nearly 12,000 men and women for nearly 20 years, during which 1,242 died from ischaemic heart disease (IHD).
Overall, they found people who did not drink or take any exercise had the highest risk of heart disease - 49% higher than people who either drank, exercised or did both.
When comparing people who took similar levels of exercise, they found that those who drank moderately - one to 14 units of alcohol a week - were around 30% less likely to develop heart disease than non-drinkers.
This finding held good for people who were completely inactive, through to those who took vigorous regular exercise - with the overall risk declining as exercise levels increased.
Non-drinkers who were physically active had a 31%-33% reduced risk of IHD compared to physically inactive non-drinkers.
But their reduced risk was dwarfed by physically active people who drank at least one drink a week - their risk was up to 50% lower than that of physically inactive non-drinkers.
Biochemical effects
Past research has suggested that alcohol consumption may decrease the risk of heart disease by increasing the levels of "good" cholesterol and possibly thinning the blood.
It was a similar story when the researchers looked at deaths from all causes: physical activity appeared to reduce the risk, while moderate drinkers fared better than their abstemious peers across all physical activity levels.
Researcher Professor Morton Gronbaek, from Copenhagen's National Institute of Public Health, said: "Our study shows that being both physically active and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is important for lowering the risk of both fatal IHD and death from all causes."
Ellen Mason, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "The combination of moderate drinking and physical activity appears to be a winning one in reducing the risk of fatal heart disease.
"However, drinking too much starts to outweigh the benefits of alcohol intake and can increase your blood pressure.
"Physical activity has shown greater benefits to heart health and overall health in previous research compared to drinking alcohol.
"Alcohol is a depressant whereas exercise releases mood-enhancing hormones which can benefit quality of life as well as reduce the risk of death."
[BBC]
Let us drink, yes let us drink!!! …but please not too much
“one drink a week”, how much is that? That is really moderate!
bufi!!!!!! BEER IS BAD WHETHER MODERATE OR NOT, BESIDES wHAT IS CONSIDERED MODERATE FOR A ZAMBIAN IS TOO MUCH ELSE WHERE.
#1 LEX
How many bottles of castle larger (375ml with 5% alcohol) per week or per day to make it moderate?
Lets drink and go to heven
Kufinwafye bakamba. I drink moderately, 5 Heineken 6 packs per week.
#4 GLUCO,
It all depends on ones’ consumption power. But other responsibilities and financial demands should be considered.
For me, 4 mosi lagers a day is moderate……..
The LEX #7
Thanks for the answer. Of course we need to drink responsibly.
Aba zedians mwalipena ku bwalwa na kachasu mule tutumenako tu lager mosi imwe mulenwafye mweka baice
what is considered moderate drinking. Can someone advise how much one should drink per day. Pantu ubwalwa busuma bulachefyako ifyakutontonkanya
Why does this so called moderate drinking have to be combined with an active lifestyle? The truth is, the beer doesn’t add value. Instead, it is the exercise that does. How can some thing be poison only when taken in huge quantities? The thing is, when taken “moderately”, it (Beer/alcohol) takes away your life more slowly so you don’t notice you are dying.
Fya bufi. Balefwaya fe nabashi nwa batempeko so that they make more money.
When I read about the dangers of HIV, I stopped having unprotected sex… when I read about the dangers of beer drinking, I stopped reading…
beer is bad whether taken in large or small quantities.
Awe twakula bukunta bwa kwa ntambo. It starts with a sip, but years later the consumption is 10 liters week days, totally drunk on weekends, otherwise its depression or ganja for substitute, best is never to start drinking.
Bufi, Ukafwa tukashike no kushika.
Dont drink and drive and vice versa.
Oways fear the Lord.
Mulenga, and you think you’ll live forever? Nobody is perfect, we are all either a liars, drunks, thieves, wankers, sick, smokers, perverts of some sort and we are all gonna die.
Jesus’s 1st miracle was making fermented wine, the best, at a wedding ceremony in Canah. There, however, has been no report of anyone throwing-up or fighting or cursing. Read between the lines
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14 units of beer a week, thats quite something..
@18 That translates to two bottles of beer a day, which in any case is moderate. The problem with us Africans is; we can’t find the right time to drink beer. Instead we drink anyhow. You can have a bottle of Vodka in your home and just drink a tot everyday, but instead we want to finish the whole bottle at once, does that ring a bell. Equally when we go into a bar we want to buy a crate of beer and yet we are only four or three. Why not just buy one beer at a time? Answer, we want to show off as if we are the only ones with money and yet they might be even billionaires just next to you in the bar buying one beer at a time. Does that make sense? Let us all limit on our beer consumption and think of being productive.
Thanks.