You’ve most probably heard that drinking just one glass of red wine a day can be good for your health; it can even reduce the risk for heart disease. However, a new study has found that it might not really be the case.
They found that drinking wine increases ‘heart flutter’
According to the latest research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, drinking even just a small amount of alcohol daily can increase a person’s risk for irregular heartbeats, or ‘heart flutter’.
The scientists who did the research collected data from 900,000 people over a span of 12 the years and their findings suggest that regular drinking, even as little as one glass a day, can cause heart problems.
They found that drinking just 340ml of beer with 5% alcohol, or 140ml of wine with 12% alcohol increased the risk of abnormal heart rhythm by 8%. They add that every additional drink further increased the risk by another 8%.
This directly contradicts previous studies that said drinking a glass of wine a day reduces the risk of heart disease.
They may not realize that they’re putting themselves at risk
Professor Peter Kistler, of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, shares: “There has been a lot of attention in recent years about the benefits of drinking small amounts of alcohol for the heart.”
“The results are significant, since chances are, there are people who are consuming one to two glasses of alcohol per day that may not realise they are putting themselves at risk for irregular heartbeat.”
The scientists think that this might be related to alcohol intake altering and interfering with the electrical signals that regulate muscle cells and the autonomic nervous system which controls pulse and breathing rates. They also advise people who have irregular heartbeats to reduce their alcohol intake as much as possible in order to lower their risk of heart disease.
Christopher Allen, senior cardiac nurse at the British Health Foundation, shares:
“There is no truly ‘safe’ amount of alcohol you can drink and even if you don’t exceed the recommended guidelines of 14 units per week, you could still be putting your heart health at risk.” He adds, “Any small benefits there could be from drinking alcohol are far outweighed by the risks and drinking too much could lead to irregular heart rhythms and also liver failure, high blood pressure and stroke.”
Keep your heart healthy with these tips!
A healthy heart is at the center of your fitness. Nowadays, with the food available to us, and the lifestyles that we lead, it can get pretty hard to keep our hearts healthy. However, by following these steps, you can ensure that your heart will be healthy and happy!
1. Fats can actually be good for your health
Common knowledge says that fats are bad for your health. But did you know that not all fats are bad for you? Healthy fats, such as saturated, polyunsaturated and unsaturated fats are actually needed by your body. What you don’t need are trans fats which mainly come from junk food, fast food, and processed food.
2. Good dental health is an indicator of a healthy heart
Did you know that people who have gum disease almost have the same factors as those with heart disease? Keeping your gums healthy can actually keep your heart healthy, so brush your teeth, and floss after every meal!
3. Make sure to get enough sleep
With the busy lifestyles that people lead nowadays, sleep is usually an afterthought. But did you know that not enough sleep can increase your risk for heart disease? Make sure to sleep for at least 6-8 hours every night, and keep your heart healthy!
4. Move around!
Sitting down for long periods of time is actually bad for your health. That’s why if you sit for long periods at a time, you should take a few moments to stand, walk around, anything just so you’re not sitting down for long periods of time.
5. Secondhand smoke (and smoking in general) is bad for you
Of course, you should already know that smoking is bad for you. Secondhand smoke, is even worse! If you or a loved one smokes, then they should stop smoking. Not only does being exposed to cigarette smoke give you lung problems, it also increases your risk for heart disease.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, express.co.uk, health.clevelandclinic.org
READ: 4 Important things to know about alcohol and breastfeeding
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