What alcohol does to blood vessels: expands or narrows them — review of 7 alcoholic beverages

There are a lot of myths around alcoholic beverages about their usefulness or harm to arteries, veins and the brain.

What does alcohol do to the cardiovascular system?

Some people believe that if you consume only elite quality drinks, then there can be no harm from them. Others claim that alcohol can be drunk from time to time to alleviate the symptoms of hypertension. Still others are sure that alcohol benefits precisely with regular use in small doses. Fourth, they firmly believe in the vasodilating properties of certain alcoholic beverages. There is some truth in every statement.

But at the same time, none of them reflects the full picture effects of alcohol on the heart and blood vessels : it can have a positive effect on them, being, for example, in the composition of medicinal tinctures, but it can also cause serious damage to human health and even life.

The mechanism of action of alcohol on blood vessels

The influence of alcohol is a difficult and ambiguous question. The effect depends on a lot of factors:

• On the amount of drink;
• From his appearance;
• From the fortress;
• Depending on the age of the person;
• Frequency of use;
• From genetics;
• From the initial state of health, etc.

However, there are general mechanisms of action that you need to be aware of in order not to cause damage to blood vessels , but on the contrary, to bring some benefit.

Alcohol it is absorbed into the blood very quickly . This is also the basis for the fact that in the composition of tinctures it makes the assimilation of herbal preparations very effective.

This form of use also has a side effect of the appearance of ethanol in the blood, a substance harmful to the body. But the dosage of tinctures is usually minimal, so the harmful effect is also almost absent.

Alcohol is another matter as a drink. Its action goes through several stages:

1. Dilation of the lumen of the arteries. Ethanol reduces the tone of blood vessels, they expand and the pressure decreases. Hence the opinion that alcoholic beverages fight hypertension.
2. Circulatory disorders. With the intake of ethanol into the blood, the pressure decreases, and there is not enough blood pressure to supply it to the periphery. As a result, the heart rate increases, and the heart, on the one hand, gets an extra load, and on the other, although the blood passes through the heart faster and loads it unnecessarily, it does not have time to reach the periphery due to reduced pressure. That is why, after some time after drinking alcohol, hands and feet begin to freeze. For the same reason, it is so dangerous to keep warm with alcohol in the cold: the feeling of warmth comes only for a while, then the person freezes. This is how a circulatory disorder manifests itself.
3. Vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure. About half an hour after taking alcohol, and especially when it continues to enter the body, the vessels narrow and the pressure inevitably increases. Thus, a hypertensive crisis can easily occur.

The above scheme concerns the consumption of alcoholic beverages in large quantities and without any additives. Tinctures on alcohol act differently, since alcohol is contained there in homeopathic doses.

What happens to the brain when consumed?

As for the vessels of the brain, their constriction after tonus is removed from them is fraught with spasm.

In addition to such unnatural gymnastics under the influence of ethanol, the vessels of the head become more fragile and permeable, the brain does not receive the right amount of oxygen , brain cells are dying in large numbers.

In addition, alcohol is very dangerous for red blood cells. Touching the walls of arteries and veins, they receive a negative charge, thanks to which they repel, do not stick together.

Alcohol destroys the negative charge, and red blood cells begin to stick together. In this state, they simply cannot penetrate the capillaries.

Capillaries do not supply oxygen to brain cells, they begin to collapse massively and die off &8212; this manifests itself in a state of intoxication. Below you will find out which alcohol expands the lumen of blood vessels, and which narrows them.

Review of the 7 most popular drinks

The use of specific drinks has even more nuances, in which, in addition to alcohol, there are other components.

1. Red wine

If the measure is followed, then red wine really benefits the vessels , to the brain and the heart.

Here's what happens to blood vessels when drinking red wine:

1. Wine expands the lumen of the arteries and slightly reduces the pressure;
2. Contains antioxidants quercetin and resveratrol, which protect against premature aging and help resorption of cholesterol plaques and blood clots; antioxidants are found only in low-alcohol beverages;
3. Increases the amount of &171;good&187; cholesterol in the blood;
4. According to one version, it helps to destroy some types of cancer cells, thanks to ellagic acid;
5. Relieves inflammation and fights tumors, dilutes blood and prevents platelet gluing, contributing to protection against thrombosis, thanks to resveratrol;
6. Reduces blood sugar levels and appetite strength when overweight, helps to avoid the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetes;
7. In the fight against vitamin deficiency, anemia, blood loss, it is a source of fructose, organic acids, vitamins, a large number of essential trace elements; improves carbohydrate, nitrogen and mineral metabolism;
8. Unlike sugary drinks, it reduces the likelihood of kidney stones, fights them if they are already present.

Dry red wine is one of the 20 of the most healthy foods for blood vessels .

Doctors have long noticed that the French, who regularly consume red wine, are less likely to suffer from cancer and other diseases. But proponents of this theory do not always mention two important factors:

1. We are talking only about natural, unsweetened artificially and not fortified red wine. This wine is not to everyone's taste, but, alas, only it has healing properties.
2. Speaking about the regular consumption of a glass of wine, many people do not take into account the genetic, age and other individual characteristics of a person. Regular &8212; does not mean three times a day: for a Russian, for example, depending on genetic predisposition, gender and age, regular consumption is considered 1-3 times a week. And &171;a glass of&187; wine &8212; is not 200 or 300 g, but according to various opinions, 50-150 g of wine at one time.

2. White wine

Unlike red wine, white wine is made from fruits and other berries, and does not have the full range of benefits of red wine. However, in the arsenal of white wine there are a number of properties useful for the cardiovascular system, provided, of course, that the wine is unsweetened and not fortified.

Here's what effect white wine has:

1. Improves brain function, strengthens memory;
2. Prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease;
3. Slightly lowers cholesterol levels, strengthens walls blood vessels and heart muscle, reduces the likelihood of heart disease;
4. Delays the aging of the heart and blood vessels, according to some hypotheses, better than red, due to the better work of antioxidants;
5. Contains tirasol and hydroxytirasol, which favor the preservation of slimness, which is very important in diseases of the cardiovascular system.

3. Cognac

Cognac, like red wine, is made from grapes . But it loses some useful properties due to its high degree of strength. For example, the amount of antioxidants in cognac is much less.

In addition, cognac is good for the heart and blood vessels at a very minimal dosage, unlike wine: only 30-50 g will have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. In particular, cognac in minimal doses:

1. Relieves vascular spasms, reduces tension;
2. Cognac has vasodilating properties and lowers blood pressure;
3. Dissolves blood clots and fatty deposits in the arteries, prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
4. Makes blood vessels more elastic;
5. Infused in oak barrels, due to the interaction of cognac alcohols with wood, it becomes a source of useful substances that reduce the permeability of vessel walls;
6. Increases immunity by affecting the hematopoietic organs, producing leukocytes or white blood cells responsible for immunity.
7. Enhances brain activity, especially when combined with coffee.

4. Vodka

Vodka is a strong alcoholic drink, its composition is only ethyl alcohol with water, there are no other components that can be useful for blood vessels. Therefore, vodka does not have the beneficial properties that wines and cognac have.

If we consider the effect of vodka on blood vessels , then, as in the case of any alcoholic remedy, it is possible to talk about the health benefits of vodka in minimal quantities only as a remedy, one-time lowering of blood pressure.

An amount of more than 30-50 g at a time ceases to have a therapeutic effect and leads to the opposite consequences: to increased pressure, vasospasm and provocation of atherosclerosis.

Regular consumption is generally dangerous. Therefore, as a medicine for blood vessels, the drink can be used on a one-time basis or as a means to extract useful properties from plants, that is, as an ingredient in medicinal tinctures. But tinctures on alcohol, vodka and wines do not automatically belong to drinks, but become a therapeutic drug, since they are consumed literally drop by drop, and taking into account mixing with other ingredients, the dosage turns out to be symbolic.

5. Whiskey

A strong drink made from malt and barley has all the properties of an alcoholic product, lowering blood pressure, helping the work of brain vessels, being consumed in small doses.

Periodic consumption of whiskey:

1. Reduces cholesterol levels in the blood;
2. Prevents increased blood clotting;
3. Thanks to ellagic acid, it prevents aging, the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease, reduces the risk of cancer;
4. Strengthens the blood vessels of the brain;
5. With periodic use in an amount of 30-50 ml, it prevents many cardiovascular diseases.

6. Rum

The effect of rum on the body is close to the effect of cognac. This is an alcoholic drink that is prepared on the basis of cane syrup and molasses, fermented and passes the aging stage.

But its strength, as in the case of cognac, requires careful handling and consumption in small doses. So, rum can have an effect on the cardiovascular system beneficial effects, in particular :

1. Keep arteries clean;
2. Relieve anxiety and improve sleep;
3. Reduce the likelihood of malignancies and Alzheimer's disease.

7. Champagne

Champagne &8212; low alcohol drink. But despite this, many doctors are skeptical about the usefulness of the drink for blood vessels and the heart.

Why is that? The reason is the high content of carbohydrates and carbon dioxide , which increases the absorption of ethyl alcohol, and can also negatively affect the condition of the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

In small doses and irregular use in the amount of 100-150 ml, champagne will not cause much harm to blood vessels and the heart and will even facilitate their work:

1. Dilating blood vessels;
2. Lowering blood pressure;
3. Activating the brain;
4. Being a source of antioxidants and keeping you young.

Also check out the foreign language about the effect of alcohol on the whole body:

Does cholesterol levels decrease?

Alcohol in its pure form really has the ability to dissolve cholesterol growths on the walls of the arteries. But some drinks for this should be used in dosages that are dangerous for other indicators of vascular and brain health, as well as other organs.

For example, fighting atherosclerosis with alcohol, a person provokes hypertension and kills his brain cells.

Therefore, alcoholic beverages are used as a preventive measure, which, in addition to ethyl alcohol, contain other substances that resist atherosclerosis . In these cases, it becomes sufficient to drink 30-50 g of alcoholic beverage, which should not harm the body.

In folk medicine, they are also actively used for treatment cleansing tinctures alcohol-based.

It is much safer to use food for cleaning vessels , as well as compliance special diet .

Features of consumption in various cardiovascular diseases

Alcoholic beverages can be not only a prevention of cardiovascular diseases. They can cause harm even in minimal amounts in some cases, after which it will be difficult to restore health.

1. Vegetative-vascular dystonia. In this pathology, alcohol is extremely undesirable, since in this disease it exacerbates tachycardia, causes heart and headache. A spasm, stroke, or heart attack may occur.
2. Hypertension. With such a diagnosis, the effect of alcohol to reduce blood pressure has only a short-term effect, and when the dose is exceeded, it exacerbates hypertension and can lead to disastrous consequences.
3. Atherosclerosis. Alcohol dissolves cholesterol. But if this is the only way to combat the disease, then by itself it will not give an effect if it is used in the recommended doses. And if they are exceeded, it will cause an exacerbation of the disease.
4. Varicose veins, hemorrhoids. These diseases exclude strong drinks, allow low-alcohol, except champagne.
5. Heart attack, stroke. Alcohol is prohibited immediately after the occurrence of these pathologies

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Alcoholic beverages, and even strong ones, can be a means of maintaining vascular health. Provided that they are used in minimal dosages and the consumption regime is observed. But if we are not talking about alcohol-based medicines, namely, an independent drink, then this is a means of preventing cardiovascular pathologies, but not treatment in any way.