Drinking with My Friends

Drinking- Daily Mail

I am not a drinker, but it is common for us to while away time, enjoy our day off. The most I can is six bottle of beer and I can get sober to that. A coworker from first job introduced me to this day off activities. He would always plan discuss things days ahead from our payday. The venue, the cost and people who would go are discussed. Sometimes, he would do it during our work that he was frequently reprimanded by our supervisor.  He would always invite me to some rounds of drinks. Most of the time, I agree, so as to observe the spirit of camaraderie. His place is very near from our work that most of the time. We were so happy and we make our day off like that. We are done.

I came to think of our neighbor from the province who would drink till the wee hours in the morning. Drinking to him is like eating three times a day. No not three time but five times including meryenda. Frequently he is not satisfied that drinking continues after a little nap early in the morning. He has retired now up there.

Drinking is the act of ingesting water or other liquids into the body through the mouth. Water is required for many of life’s physiological processes. Both excessive and inadequate water intake are associated with health problems.

We all need a break every now and again, from our jobs, from our partners from the miserable weather. But if we’re used to having a drink to unwind every day, it can be difficult to take a break from alcohol. According to Wikipedia, Europe topped the continent with drinking, Luxembourg’s consumption of 15.3 liters per capita ranks first in alcohol consumption. Philippines is somewhere in the middle with 5.4 liters per capita consumption. The statistics were taken from annual consumption of pure alcohol in liters, per person, aged 15 years old and over.  See table below.

Rank	Country	Litres consumed per capita	Year
1	Luxembourg	15.3	2009
2	France	12.6	2011
3	Austria	12.2	2009
4	Estonia	12.0	2011
5	Germany	11.7	2009
6	Ireland	11.6	2011
7	Czech Republic	11.5	2011
8	Portugal	11.4	2007
8	Spain	11.4	2009
10	Belgium	10.8	2008

Scientists have long touted the heart benefits of drinking small amounts of alcohol. Newer studies have credited moderate drinking with everything from helping to keep our minds sharp as we age to lowering our risk of developing diabetes.

Drinking alcohol can be good for your health, but it can also be harmful. It all depends on how much you drink, your age, and other factors.

There's no denying that too much alcohol can lead to serious problems. As medicinenet.com stated, excess alcohol can increase your risk of:

Liver disease

High blood pressure

High blood fats (triglycerides)

Heart failure

Stroke

Fetal alcohol syndrome (if you're pregnant)

Certain cancers

Injury, violence, and death

And, of course, drinking too much alcohol piles on the calories, which can lead to obesity and a higher risk for diabetes.

For some segments of the population, alcohol can lead to many health problems. Those who should not drink include:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Women at risk for breast cancer

People with family histories of alcohol abuse

Children and adolescents

People taking medications that can interact with alcohol

Those with health conditions such as liver problems or ulcers

Anyone requiring skill or coordination to perform a task

But moderate drinking brings good effects to our health. Here's a closer look at the connection between alcohol and your health according to mayoclinic.org

Health benefits of moderate alcohol use

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may:

Reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease

Possibly reduce your risk of ischemic stroke (when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow)

Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Even so, the evidence about the possible health benefits of alcohol isn't certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks.

Guidelines for moderate alcohol use

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

Examples of one drink include:

Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters)

Wine: 5 fluid ounces (148 milliliters)

Distilled spirits (80 proof): 1.5 fluid ounces (44 milliliters)

Moderate alcohol use may be of most benefit if you're an older adult or if you have existing risk factors for heart disease. If you're a middle-aged or younger adult, some evidence shows that even moderate alcohol use may cause more harm than good.