Although you may believe it is
suitable for your heart, that glass of wine could be harming your body in the
long run.
You're not alone if you enjoy unwinding with a glass of wine after a long day. The Wine Institute estimates that the average American adult consumes 2.95 gallons of wine each year. (Those are gallons!)
While wine is typically praised for its heart-health benefits, that glass of vino could also be harming the rest of your body. Read on to learn about the wine side effects that specialists want you to know before taking another glass.
1. You may develop heart issues.
Red wine has long been thought to be beneficial to one's cardiovascular health, significantly lowering blood pressure and reducing the chance of heart attack. On the other hand, regular wine intake may have significant heart consequences, including atrial fibrillation, a form of a rapid, occasionally erratic pulse.
According to Heather Hanks of Instapot Life, a nutritionist, a single daily alcoholic drink can increase a person's risk of atrial fibrillation by 16 percent, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal in January 2021.
"This contradicts prior advice to drink a glass of red wine every day for heart health," adds Hanks, "since atrial fibrillation increases the chance of more catastrophic consequences, such as stroke."
2. You might get cirrhosis.
Long-term alcohol intake, even wine, can cause significant liver health problems, including cirrhosis. According to data published in 2015 by the European Association for the Study of the Liver, increasing alcohol use beyond the "moderate" level—one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men—can raise the prevalence of alcohol-induced cirrhosis by 11.13 percent.
3. Your breast cancer risk may increase.
If you have a family history of breast cancer, you should stop wearing your nightcap. "Even moderate drinking appears to enhance rather than decrease the risk of breast cancer," says Carrie Lam, MD, FAAMFM, ABAARM, of Dr. Lam Coaching.
A 2006 study published in the Annals of Epidemiology found that only one to two drinks per day can increase a person's breast cancer risk by 30 to 50%.
4. You may be at an increased risk of esophageal cancer.
It's not only that drinking alcohol raises your chance of breast cancer. "Drinking wine is linked to the tongue and esophageal cancer," explains Bracha Banayan, a qualified nurse practitioner and CEO of IVDRIPS. Even one alcoholic beverage per day, according to a 2017 study published in PLoS One, is linked to an elevated risk of esophageal cancer.
5. You will get less sleep.
A glass of wine in the evening may make you tired, but there's another unintended consequence of wine consumption: you'll sleep worse.
According to Stephen Light, a certified sleep science coach and co-founder of Nolah Mattress, "drinking alcohol lowers Rapid Eye Movement sleep, a key portion of the sleep cycle linked to physical and emotional wellness." "Even if you slept for a long time, you'll feel sleepy when you wake up."
6. You might get rosacea.
Do you want your skin to be clean and healthy? You might want to forgo the wine glass.
According to Anna Chacon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Zelen Life Dermatology, "studies have shown an increase in blood vessels in the cheeks among wine drinkers." "Only visible blood vessels are significantly increased in heavy versus moderate wine users, supporting the theory that wine is linked to rosacea."
7. Your PMS could worsen.
Do you think a glass of wine can help alleviate your PMS symptoms? Please reconsider.
According to Ilene Ruhoy, MD, Ph.D., a member of the Jetson Gut Council, one of the lesser-known adverse effects of drinking wine is "worsened symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder," as well as probable cycle abnormalities.
"This could be related to
hormonal changes from intestinal inflammation caused by alcohol intake, but it
could also be owing to the effects of chemicals produced by alcohol
metabolism," Ruhoy notes.
