4 facts about the effect of beer on human blood — does it dilute it or thicken it?

Beer is often considered harmless enough compared to strong alcoholic beverages.

There is a version that it dilutes human blood, lowers blood pressure and relieves vascular spasms. In this regard, many people think that drinking this drink is not only not harmful, but even useful for cardiovascular diseases.

But its effect on blood vessels and heart muscle is associated with the presence of ethanol in beer. And the mechanisms of influence on living cells are complex, and it is impossible to say unequivocally how safe it is to try to change the composition and viscosity of blood with beer. In this article, we will try to figure out this issue.

How the drink affects the blood — 4 facts

Speaking about the effect of the drink on the blood, it is necessary to take into account the degree of naturalness of the product, its strength and the amount consumed.

Pasteurized beer definitely cannot be beneficial to health, because it contains at least preservatives, not to mention other food additives.

Strong — akin to other strong drinks. The only difference is that it contains carbon dioxide, which accelerates the absorption of ethyl alcohol into the blood.

Ethanol affects the circulatory system in the same way as in any strong drinks.

1. At the initial stage, ethanol dilutes the blood. The liquefaction effect occurs for two reasons: alcohol makes the blood more fluid, and the drink itself replenishes the body's fluid reserves.
2. But then there is a thickening of the blood substance. The decomposition products of ethyl alcohol draw fluid out of the blood, a person begins to feel thirsty, he develops edema, as thick blood moves more slowly through the bloodstream. Clots form and small and then medium-sized blood vessels become clogged.
3. This is a condition when the blood becomes viscous and accumulates clots , continues throughout the entire time of intoxication and hangover, which in case of binge drinking can last for more than one day. That is why there are so many strokes and heart attacks in a state of alcoholic binge drinking.
4. Drinking alcohol helps reduce sugar levels. Therefore, some diabetics use this method. But such treatment of diabetes mellitus also leads to a dead end, since it is difficult to calculate the right dose of alcohol and it is impossible to maintain a state of intoxication all the time.

Beer really reduces blood viscosity. But only at the initial stage: the reverse process follows. Blood thickening after drinking a foamy drink is no less dangerous than the consequences of taking vodka, because a lower strength delays the process and forces a person to drink more than the physiological norm.

 

Effects on the cardiovascular and other body systems

People with diseases of the cardiovascular system often justify drinking beer by the following factors. They say that low alcohol the drink helps them:

• Lower blood pressure;
• Fight high cholesterol;
• Normalize heart rate and improve blood circulation.

Facts of this effects of ethyl alcohol on the heart and blood vessels do exist. But for a very short time and to a fairly small extent.

1. Decrease and increase in pressure. By reducing the tone of blood vessels, the drink helps to lower blood pressure. But for about half an hour. Further, with an increase in dosage, the pressure only begins to rise, and even a hypertensive crisis may be triggered.
2. Anti-cholesterol effect and vascular destruction. Beer cannot be called a remedy for atherosclerosis. As a solvent, alcohol prevents cholesterol from settling on blood vessels. And some people with alcoholism do not really have cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. But at the same time, ethanol makes the walls of blood vessels brittle and not able to easily expand and narrow down.
3. Increased blood circulation and destruction of the heart. When drinking beer, the heart muscle experiences increased stress. In medicine, there is even a term — "beer heart" , which characterizes the condition of an overgrown and altered heart muscle.
4. Vascular deformity. Increased vascular load leads to the appearance of pathologies such as hemorrhoids, varicose veins and thrombosis. Beer-loving people often have sore feet. This happens because ethyl alcohol dilates large vessels and narrows the small ones. As a result, edema appears. And the lower extremities suffer first of all.

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Rules for safe use

Beer contains useful substances, for example, a complex of vitamins. However, if the rules of consumption are not followed, the usefulness of the drink is in doubt.

1. Daily rate . It is absolutely safe to drink a foam drink in an amount from 250 ml to 1 liter per day for men and up to 750 ml per day for women.
2. Mixing. You can't drink two different varieties at once. Mixing beer with other alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited.
3. Live beer. Only a natural drink that has not been preserved and alcohol added to it can be consumed without harm to health, as can be judged by its strength.

Contraindications

Like any alcoholic beverage, beer has a number of contraindications. In order to avoid harm to health, they must certainly be taken into account.

1. Age under 18. The body of children and adolescents is categorically unable to perceive alcohol of any strength: it will damage them even more than adults.
2. Pregnancy and lactation . Contrary to popular belief, even natural, live beer is unsafe for mother and child.
3. Old age . Starting from the age of 65, doctors recommend no more than 250 ml of drink per day.
4. Drivers and operators of various kinds of cars. Any alcohol significantly reduces the reaction, which can lead to injury and even a more terrible outcome.
5. Alcoholism in the past. With this diagnosis, alcohol consumption cannot be resumed.
6. Non-commitment to intoxication. Despite the fact that outwardly a person may not succumb to intoxication, his body, in particular, the heart and blood vessels, will suffer in the same way as a rapidly intoxicated person. As a result, there is a danger of a significant excess dosage.
7. The presence of many medical diagnoses. In diseases of the nervous system, serious pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, alcohol consumption is impossible.

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Conclusion

Beer is a drink that has a number of positive properties. With strict observance of the rules of its use, it can even slightly improve the physical condition. But the slightest deviation from the norms of consumption turns beer into a harmful product for the heart, blood and blood vessels.