A Drink A Day, An Aspirin A Day

[Ijustwannateach]

which confirm more and more benefits both of one drink a day and of one aspirin a day.

One aspirin a day apparently helps with various sorts of heart disease, diabetes, and may even ward off bowel cancer.

A drink a day (especially red wine) is good for cholesterol and for delaying dementia.

Are there any reasons NOT to take these (for a middle-aged or older man)? And are there any additional simple "one-a-days" that seem to be important or helpful?

"Steven"

[Jingthing]

About 100 mg low dose aspirin a day for any adult with risks for heart disease is pretty standard. There is a very small risk of internal bleeding. The low dose reduces that. Studies also show this low dose is as good or better than a high dose to prevent heart attacks. I have been doing this for years and most doctors will be OK with it if you ask them. You need to go off it if having any surgery.

The recent study shows a higher dose (normal aspirin) reduces incidence of colon cancer in MEN ONLY. However, it increases the risk of internal bleeding greatly, so this is at this point not really recommended.

Drinking a little is also pretty good but is much more controversial because many just turn into full blown alkies and kill themselves that way even quicker.

Edited May 22, 2007 by Jingthing

[PeaceBlondie]

If I may pick up where Jingthing's posting left off, please. Years ago, it was said that for every fifteen persons who has their very first drink of alcohol, one will become an alcoholic; others will experience drinking problems to various degrees. Nothing, except maybe warfare, has killed more people, created more orphans and widows, broken families,lost productivity, absenteeism, academic failure, etc., than the use of alcohol. If it were discovered today as a new chemical, it would never become legal to drink in civilized countries.

I read the dementia study from the two Italian doctors. Did they run a double-blind test on drinkers of red unfermented grape juice? For all we know, chocolate is keeping me healthy.

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm not denying that alcoholism is a risk- or that anyone should use the "health excuse" for heavier drinking- but for those of us (the other 14) for whom drinking is NOT a problem, that it can be responsibly used for health. After all, the body itself generates about as much alcohol per day as is contained in that one extra drink of alcohol. Now that it has been mentioned, except for the VERY IMPORTANT risk of alcoholism, are there other physiological risks inherent in one drink of alcohol a day?

And other there other "one-a-days" which are so simple everyone should know about them?

[Jingthing]

PB, I agree with you and most doctors would agree with you. However, everyday drinking is very common in many cultures, such as wine drinking with meals, so cultural conditioning to routine drinking would probably decrease risk of abuse. I have also read that some ethnic groups, like Jews, have a lower rate of alchoholism. Some attribute that to the inclusion of wine drinking in ceremonies starting from a very young age, and some people think it might be genetic. Personally, I think most older adults know by a certain age whether they are an alcoholic or not.

[Jingthing]

I have been sold on the idea that taking fish oil everyday reduces heart attack risk. The current research on Vitamin E is very negative.

[Ijustwannateach]

I think we can also take a multivitamin as a given?

How about Soy Lecithin?

[colino]

when i was young i had damaged lining to the bone (knee cap ) the doctor at the hospital put me on an asprin a day for a year as its meant to help repair the lining this was (big gasp) 34 years ago just another side effect of asprin

[backflip]

Years aqo, I had an attack of prostatitis. The doctor asked several questions and I responded: "Do you take an aspirin a day?" "Yes." "Good. Do you take a multivitamin daily?" "Yes." "Good. Do you drink?" "No." "Research indicates that people who have one or two drinks a day live healthier than people who don't drink." "OK." "Are you sexually active?" "Yes." "Research indicates that the more often you have intercourse, the less likely you'll have a recurrence of prostatitis." "Doctor, are you giving me a prescription to drink and have sex more frequently?" Laughing..."I guess that I am." "Could I have that in writing?"

[Sheryl]

You need to be a bit careful after the way the popular media report scientific findings, they tend not to put them in context and to give an exaggerated impression of what the studies have shown.

It has NOT been proven that a drink a day has any benefit, and the type of research that would be required to prove that is unlikely to ever be undertaken as it would be very costly and almost impossible to regulate. You'd have to take a large groups of people in similiar state of health, with similiar diets etc, and ensure that some of them drank one glass and one glass only daily for years ad that the other didn't drink at all..and that none of them did anything else that might cause a difference in risk of heart disease, and then follow them for decades. Obviously impractical.

What studies have found is that the rates of heart disease are lower in populations who drink small amounts of wine, especially red wine, daily. However "correlation is not causation". People who regularly drink moderate amounts have other traits in common which may explain the lower rates of heart disease, i.e. they might have similiar diets, weights, ethnicity, etc etc.

The most that any researcher would say is that the studies suggest the possibility off a beneficial effect on the heart from modest consumption of some alcholic beverages (specifically red wine).

The aspirin thing though has actually been studied in a controlled manner and is true for people who are at higher than average risk of heart disease. Should not be taken by anyone with a history of bleeding disorder or with active gastritis or ulcer disease.

[Ijustwannateach]

Thanks, Sheryl. I've been told, though, that a little alcohol is good for cholesterol levels, etc. (I'm concerned because I'm overweight- working on that in other ways, too, of course- diet and exercise, etc.). Does this make any sense or is it sheer propaganda? I don't drink that much, and in fact a drink a day would be more than I'm presently drinking (on average).

"S"

[tayto]

Guinness good for you - official

The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers.

A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.

Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from Wisconsin University told a conference in the US.

Guinness were told to stop using the slogan decades ago - and the firm still makes no health claims for the drink.

The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.

They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.

Heart trigger

Clotting is important for patients who are at risk of a heart attack because they have hardened arteries.

A heart attack is triggered when a clot lodges in one of these arteries supplying the heart.

Many patients are prescribed low-dose aspirin as this cuts the ability of the blood to form these dangerous clots.

The researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that the most benefit they saw was from 24 fluid ounces of Guinness - just over a pint - taken at mealtimes.

We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients

Spokesman, Brewing Research International

They believe that "antioxidant compounds" in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

However, Diageo, the company that now manufactures Guinness, said: "We never make any medical claims for our drinks."

The company now runs advertisements that call for "responsible drinking".

A spokesman for Brewing Research International, which conducts research for the industry, said she would be "wary" of placing the health benefits of any alcohol brand above another.

She said: "We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients.

"It is possible that there is an extra effect due to the antioxidants in Guinness - but I would like to see this research repeated."

She said that reviving the old adverts for Guinness might be problematic - at least in the EU.

Draft legislation could outlaw any health claims in adverts for alcohol in Europe, she said.

Feelgood factor

The original campaign in the 1920s stemmed from market research - when people told the company that they felt good after their pint, the slogan was born.

In England, post-operative patients used to be given Guinness, as were blood donors, because of its high iron content. This practice continues in Ireland.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness - the present advice is against this.

The UK is still the largest market in the world for Guinness, although the drink does not feature in the UK's top ten beer brands according to the latest research.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3266819.stm

Published: 2003/11/13 11:20:10 GMT

[Crushdepth]

I think we can also take a multivitamin as a given?

You're going to hate me for mentioning this, but just last week I saw an article on a large study (300,000 people) that found that taking multivitamins regularly doubled the risk of prostate cancer. The article went on to say that vitamins taken as pills don't seem to be as beneficial as vitamins you get out of a balanced diet.

It didn't say whether this risk outweighed the other benefits of taking multivitamins. I suspect that if your diet is crap, you'd probably be best taking the multivitamins regardless, but if you have a good diet, you might be wasting your time.

Re. aspirin, I have a book on statistics that used the 'aspirin reduces risk of heart attack' study as an example of statistical analysis. It says (I just grabbed it off the shelf) that a sample of 22,071 doctors were studied over a long period of time (doesn't say how long), half taking an aspirin a day and half a placebo. Doctors tha took the aspirin were *half* as likely to have a heart attack than the placebo group.

This sounds like a lot, but in *absolute* terms the incidence of heart attacks in the study groups was 0.94% vs 1.71% over the life of the experiment, or a 0.77% difference. Better than nothing though...if you are an old bastard or high risk group probably still worth it

[chuchok]

Thanks, Sheryl. I've been told, though, that a little alcohol is good for cholesterol levels, etc. (I'm concerned because I'm overweight- working on that in other ways, too, of course- diet and exercise, etc.). Does this make any sense or is it sheer propaganda? I don't drink that much, and in fact a drink a day would be more than I'm presently drinking (on average).

"S"

Well steven, as my local GP put it.A baby asprin a day and controlled BP,makes for a longer life.

[endure]

I've always found 'a drink a day, an aspirin the following day' to be the norm

[Bagwan]

I take a baby strength aspirin everyday to counter clotting of my blood. I also take 20mg pill of Zimmex to counter cholesterol. Zimmex is freely available without prescription and being produced by culture rather than artificial means provides additional side benefits that other lipid lowering drugs cannot. BTW at least 70% of cholesterol is produced naturally in the liver so that avoiding eggs and dairy products will give only a marginal improvement. My blood pressure at my last three annual check-ups was in each case 120/80, not bad for a guy passed 70. I limit my alcohol intake to 2 large Singhas or Tigers each day.

[Luckydog]

Sorry but having lots of sex didn't stop me from getting Prostatitis......

[Needhelp10]

Last year my sister went to see a doctor since she was having very painful menstrual cramps. She was prescribed Ecotrin also known as Aspirin. The next day after taking ecotrin her condition became worse with high fever, vomiting and more painful abdominal pain. We took her to the doctor immediately and the doctor told her to stop taking aspirin immediately. She was hospitalized for some 5 days. I'll advise you all to read the warnings, side effects, overdose reactions…etc of Ecotrin; http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3469-s-ECOTRIN.aspx and take the necessary action as soon as you find something abnormal while you are taking this drug.

[Needhelp10]

Sorry but having lots of sex didn't stop me from getting Prostatitis......

Your avatar is horrible!!

[Gary A]

When I officially retired about four years ago, I came over and was taking four different drugs to thin my blood and to control hypertension. I felt bad every day. A friend of mine insisted that I go to see his Thai heart doctor. That doctor suggested that I throw all those drugs away and take a 20 mg Enaril and a 60 mg Aspent-M (aspirin) every day. Within two days I felt great and my blood pressure was under control. I still take the little aspirin but am now on a half tablet of Anapril (10mg). My doctor substituted Anapril for the Enaril. Supposed to be the same thing but easier to find. I had some 90 mg baby aspirin but the doctor said that was too much, thus the 60 mg. I don't drink every day but do have a few a couple times a week.

[Luckydog]

Years aqo, I had an attack of prostatitis. The doctor asked several questions and I responded: "Do you take an aspirin a day?" "Yes." "Good. Do you take a multivitamin daily?" "Yes." "Good. Do you drink?" "No." "Research indicates that people who have one or two drinks a day live healthier than people who don't drink." "OK." "Are you sexually active?" "Yes." "Research indicates that the more often you have intercourse, the less likely you'll have a recurrence of prostatitis." "Doctor, are you giving me a prescription to drink and have sex more frequently?" Laughing..."I guess that I am." "Could I have that in writing?"

Sex prevents prostatitis ? Don't you believe it friends. I Fkd myself silly for the first three years I was in LOS, and what do I have now? Yeah. PROSTATITIS!

Asprin is good for preventing ANOTHER Stroke. But 100mg is too much. 75mg ok.

[wileycoyote]

I think we can also take a multivitamin as a given?

In a Study in the Netherlands,folic acid for over 40's is allegedly able to reduce loss of memory ?

1 tablet a day could delay or prevent Alzheimers.

[Buckwheat]

I don't know about all of the studies, but my Dad had 1 shot of Jack Daniels everyday as far back as I can remember.

He never went to bars and I saw never saw him inebriated.

He passed away 8 months short of his 100th birthday.

This is not saying it is effective or isn't.....just passing this on.

[wileycoyote]

I don't know about all of the studies, but my Dad had 1 shot of Jack Daniels everyday as far back as I can remember.

He never went to bars and I saw never saw him inebriated.

He passed away 8 months short of his 100th birthday.

Did he have it neat or with water ?

Wiley Coyote

[Buckwheat]

I don't know about all of the studies, but my Dad had 1 shot of Jack Daniels everyday as far back as I can remember.

He never went to bars and I saw never saw him inebriated.

He passed away 8 months short of his 100th birthday.

Did he have it neat or with water ?

Wiley Coyote

He had it straight up.....1 shot, no more,no,less,no water

[JimmyTheMook]

I have also read that some ethnic groups, like Jews, have a lower rate of alchoholism. Some attribute that to the inclusion of wine drinking in ceremonies starting from a very young age, and some people think it might be genetic.

It is true that very fews Jews are alcoholics it just does not fit in with our intelligent and successful lifestyles.

And who really wants to be a drunk.

[Orangutan]

Mazaltof!

-O

[ballbreaker]

My doctor also recommended aspirin on a daily basis but said it should be low mg and only the coated type. The coating allows it to pass through the stomach and dissolve in the intestine thus preventing stomach irritation.

[JimmyTheMook]

My doctor also recommended aspirin on a daily basis but said it should be low mg and only the coated type. The coating allows it to pass through the stomach and dissolve in the intestine thus preventing stomach irritation.

I take what are called baby aspirin in 60mg pills daily , these are said to be good for you as noted in the above replies.

I guess the simple fact is eventually we are all going to die anyway.

[Steve2UK]

Sex prevents prostatitis ? Don't you believe it friends. I Fkd myself silly for the first three years I was in LOS, and what do I have now? Yeah. PROSTATITIS!

Ermmmmm............... I need to put this delicately. I have certainly been advised that anal sex (as receiver) is thought to promote a healthy prostate through stimulation. Of course, not everyone is "receptive" to that - but it suits some.............