Whether it’s beer or wine, daily light alcohol consumption reduces risk of major cardiac events such as strokes and heart attacks by 20% in the general population, and even reaches -40% among people suffering from anxiety and various fears: a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital believes he has finally discovered the reason for the known benefits of alcohol in moderation on cardiovascular health. A mild consumption of no more than one glass a day for women and two for men – explains the report led by Ahmed Tawakol, director of the hospital’s imaging department – decreases anxiety, relaxes the nervous system and affects activities of the brain.
The positive effect therefore does not depend on alterations induced by alcohol on blood, blood pressure or cholesterol, but directly on its impact on the brain. Scholars have verified this by analyzing with brain MRI hundreds of people whose habits had been followed and recorded in the Biobank of Mass General Brigham hospital.
Among the data that emerged: people who drank on average less than 14 drinks a week they showed significantly lower odds of having a heart attack or stroke than those who didn’t drink at all. Furthermore, brain analyzes have shown among light or moderate drinkers a response to stress in the area of the amygdala that is decidedly lower than normal, in direct proportion to the decrease in feelings of anxiety and fear: in these individuals, moreover, there have been fewer adverse cardiac events.
“To be precise – explained Taewakol – the reduction in the probability of heart attacks and strokes is it was 20% for everyone and 40% for people who suffered from anxietyHowever, the scholars caution that alcohol use, even light, continues to be associated with increased markers of inflammation and increased cancer risks.
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