A lot of books have been written about the dangers of alcohol. Little is said and reluctantly about the benefits of alcohol. Unless during a noisy feast. The book, which would tell colorfully about the positive effects of alcohol on the human body, can not be found.
Is alcohol good ? What effect do they have on the body? And are there any less dangerous drinks among them? Before answering the question of what is beneficial for alcohol, it is worth making a short digression into history.
When did strong drinks appear? Who invented them? In ancient times, did people think about the benefits of alcohol and its harmful power? Or did they talk about traditions to discuss the quality and effect of alcohol only in recent centuries?
Ancient times
The first alcoholic drinks appeared several millennia ago. This is evidenced by the results of archaeological excavations. It is unlikely that anyone thought about the usefulness of alcohol in prehistoric times. At least, little is known about this to researchers. Nevertheless, there is more accurate information about the attitude of the ancient Egyptians to alcohol. Texts dating back to 2100 BC talk about the positive effects of alcohol on the human body.
Once upon a time in the southern Mesopotamia, Sumerian settlements were located. People lived here who sacredly believed that alcohol was guilty of their imperfection. According to the myth, the deities who created the first man were first taken to the chest. That is why people appeared on earth weak, angry, envious.
One of the most popular drinks in the world is beer. He is loved in Europe, and in Asia, and in America. Every year, factories produce several tens of thousands of types of low alcohol drinks. In the menu of cafes and restaurants you can see not only all kinds of varieties, but also various beer cocktails. It is generally accepted that the best manufacturers of a foamy drink are Germany and the Czech Republic. But the ancient Egyptians invented it.
Respectfully, Egyptians rushed for wine, which was considered a divine drink. They not only drank it at dinner, but also used it for medical and ritual purposes. The traditions of the production of alcoholic beverages in ancient times developed in China, Rome.
Middle Ages
After Columbus opened the New World, European sailors got the opportunity to taste a bunch - Aztec wine. This drink is still produced in South America. Its basis is fermented agave juice.
In Europe, the most popular drink was beer. The production of cider, apple and grape wine also developed. Alcohol is useful in small doses. This was well known to the inhabitants of medieval Europe, through which an epidemic wandered about due to monstrous unsanitary conditions. Quenching thirst was much safer with wine than with water. The sweet drink of many French and Germans saved from cholera.
New time
The consciousness of the inhabitants of Western Europe was influenced by the ideas of Martin Luther and Jean Calvin, who claimed that wine was nothing but a divine gift. Until the 18th century, attitudes toward alcohol were positive. People who did not know the measures for drinking were not subjected to condemnation.
Healing drink
It was said above: little is said about the benefits of alcohol, its detrimental power is given a lot of attention. Here it is worth clarifying. Wine is the only alcoholic beverage about which many articles and books have been written. It is recommended by doctors for certain diseases. Poets and philosophers wrote a lot about him, and Omar Khayyam most of all.
Red wine is considered a healing drink. It contains tannin, which, getting into the body, dilutes the blood. Red wine is an excellent prophylactic against cardiovascular diseases.
The composition of red wine includes flavonoids - natural antioxidants that stop the negative effects of free radicals. No wonder this drink is called the elixir of youth. The wine also contains many useful substances, including iron, which prevents anemia. Doctors recommend using the drink as a preventative measure of vitamin deficiency.
Alcohol dilates blood vessels. And therefore, in moderate doses is useful. Especially wine, the healing properties of which are given above. But do not forget that any alcohol is addictive. Moreover, the dependence develops from regular receptions. A person who drinks 50 grams of wine daily is more addictive than one who drinks a bottle of Cabernet once every six months.
The best wines
Elite alcohol shops offer a wide selection of wines. Not every one of them has healing power. Healthy wine - dry or semi-dry. It contains many useful substances, little alcohol and sugar. The most popular varieties:
- Pinot noir.
- Sauvignon Blanc.
- "Shiraz."
- "Riesling".
- Cabernet.
Wine lovers unanimously say: you can and should drink this drink every day. Abstract scholars are often mentioned, who allegedly confirmed this version during research. It is worth knowing: there is no established norm of alcohol without harm to health. Doctors still disagree about what a safe dose of alcohol is and whether it is. One person can drink a couple glasses of wine at dinner for twenty years and feel great. Such meals will be turned into another alcoholic a year later.
Allowable rate
Nevertheless, most doctors believe that a man can drink a glass of wine a day. The permissible norm for a woman is two times less, that is 75 ml. The trouble is that wine lovers fail to adhere to such a strict framework. Where there is one glass, there is a second.
The representative of the weaker sex is interested in the calorie content of alcohol per 100 grams. By the way, red wine is included in some diets. One hundred grams of dry contains only 64 kcal. That's not a lot. It is impossible to recover by regularly drinking a glass of wine. However, this drink arouses appetite.
Champagne
In the 17th century sparkling wine appeared. It is widely known thanks to the monk, whose name can be seen today in any store of elite alcohol. "House of Perignon" is the name of one of the most expensive sparkling wines.
Champagne is the common name for the drink that appeared several centuries ago in one of the French provinces. There are a lot of varieties. Of course, the choice should be made in favor of more expensive brands. For example, Widow Clicquot, Brut, Extra-Brut. "Asti Martini", so beloved by girls, contains too much sugar, its calorie content is twice the calorie content of dry wine.
It is extremely strange to talk about the benefits of champagne or any other alcohol. Nevertheless, there are versions about the healing power of this drink. It, like dry wine, contains antioxidants and normalizes blood pressure. But only if you drink it in small doses. The permissible volume per day for a woman is 75 ml.
Cognac
And there are many myths about the benefits of this strong alcoholic drink. Neither expensive Armenian cognac, nor French Martel is not a panacea or a medicine. Doctors categorically do not recommend drinking it regularly. It is addictive. The permissible norm for a man is one glass per day, that is, 50 ml. For a woman, even less - 25 ml.
Nevertheless, cognac is not without useful qualities. If it is of high quality. In expensive Armenian cognac, like elite French drinks, it contains sodium, potassium, calcium. Taking it in small doses helps strengthen immunity. The low-quality drink, which is very common on store shelves, contains pesticides, sulfur compounds, and other chemicals.
Beer
This drink is not refined. Nevertheless, many ladies prefer it to fine French and Italian wines. Beer contains hops, malt, sugar and, of course, alcohol. Is it dangerous to drink beer every day?
This drink may seem completely harmless - intoxication occurs gradually, and more often a pleasant feeling of relaxation comes instead. Is it possible to become addicted by drinking one or two glasses of beer after a hard day's work? Of course. Any alcohol can be addictive - both strong and low alcohol. There is even such a thing as "beer alcoholism." True, it has no scientific justification. Alcoholism is not vodka, beer, cognac. Alcohol addiction has standard symptoms.
According to popular belief, the use of beer leads to the appearance of extra pounds. In fact, vodka, which is allowed with the so-called Kremlin diet, has more calories. It is not the foamy drink itself that is harmful, but the snacks that combine with it. Traditionally, crackers, nuts, and chips are served with beer. These are very high-calorie foods, and it is their use that leads to excess weight.
Beer contains beneficial substances. One or two glasses do not have an adverse effect on the body. But it is better to refuse various beer cocktails. By the way, it is advisable to drink any alcoholic drink in its pure form. The cocktail, which, in addition to the hop drink, contains only lemonade, is harmless, which cannot be said about the so-called "ruff". Vodka with beer - a mixture that in large quantities does not have the best effect on the state of mind. In addition, in the morning she can remind herself of an unbearable headache.
Liqueurs
A pleasant sweet drink is included in many popular cocktails. Liquor is strong, dessert. We will not repeat about the risk of developing alcoholism, we will only say that this drink in small doses is useful. But, of course, not everyone. Only natural, devoid of flavorings and colorings.
Becherovka
This is one of the most popular liquors, a Czech drink with a herbal flavor. Once Becherovka was sold exclusively in pharmacies, they used it as a gastric drug.
The strength of the drink is 38%. It consists of twenty herbs, of which some are found, as a rule, in Karlovy Vary. It was here, at one of the best resorts in Eastern Europe, Joseph Becher came up with a recipe for medicinal tincture, which later became a popular alcoholic beverage. The list of ingredients is kept confidential. Becherovka is produced only in the Czech Republic.
Aperitifs
This is the general name for alcoholic beverages that are used before meals. Drinking aperitifs is a typical European tradition. She came to us relatively recently. Although the menu of many Russian establishments has a whole section with aperitifs, they are ordered both after dinner and during it.
The most popular aperitif is vermouth. The drink has a tart, slightly bitter taste. Wermut is translated from German as “wormwood”. This drink appeared in the late Middle Ages and was originally a medicine.
There are several types of vermouth. All of them are an excellent tool for improving digestion. True, in large quantities, vermouth can cause heartburn.