What drinks help protect my arteries?

Dr. Michael Roizen, MD

Internal Medicine

Mounting evidence now suggests that not just red wine but any alcoholic beverage helps protect us from arterial aging. When it comes to reducing your physiologic age, all alcoholic beverages seem to have the same effect: 4 ounces of wine is the same as one 12-ounce can of beer, which is the same as 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. Moderate and regular consumption of alcohol reduces the risk of heart attack by as much as 30 percent, making your RealAge (physiologic age) 1.9 years younger.

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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Alcohol & Health

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol daily, such as one to two 12-ounce beers or 5-ounce glasses of wine, was once thought to offer certain health benefits, particularly for heart health. However, those benefits have increasingly been questioned, and experts have become more aware of the risks, including liver disease and several types of cancer. And excessive drinking is known to lead to serious health problems, such as strokes, dementia, pancreatitis, high blood pressure and dementia. Factoring in all the risks of benefits, some researchers now conclude that no level of drinking is completely safe.

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