> Alcohol
Without Food Boosts Blood Pressure
Before you raise a toast, grab a bite to eat.
A new study shows that drinking alcohol without eating raises the
chance to develop high blood pressure.
Researchers learned that by studying the food and drink habits of
more than 2,600 healthy, white adults. Blood pressure was measured
three times during the study.
Drinking without eating was a blood pressure hazard.
Participants who usually imbibed without food were about 1.5 times
more likely to have high blood pressure than teetotalers. High
blood pressure was at least 140 for systolic and 90 or more for
diastolic blood pressure.
The amount and type of alcohol mattered less than whether it was
accompanied by food.
Drinking outside meals appears to have a significant effect on
high blood pressure risk independent of the amount of alcohol
consumed, say the researchers.
Past research had linked heavy alcohol consumption and high blood
pressure. But the new study goes further, providing more details.
For instance, it shows that even light drinkers are likely to get
high blood pressure if they sip without eating. Men and women had
similar results, and the type of alcohol beverage did’nt matter.
Similar conclusions about food, alcohol, and high blood pressure
were reached in a recent Italian study. That may mean that the
findings surpass cultural differences.
It’s not clear exactly how food and alcohol team up to affect
blood pressure.
Diet or lifestyle factors could be at work. More studies are
needed, but if the findings confirmed, it could change
recommendations about healthy drinking.
Drinking alcohol has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
But men should have no more than two drinkers a day and women no
more than one drink a day to gain this benefit.
If this new research proves true, the recommendations May soon
suggest having a snack with that daily drink.
Drinking without food may counteract any benefit to the heart
associated with moderate alcohol consumption.
The study also shows that heavier drinkers (at least two daily
drinks) were more Likely to have high blood pressure. This may
mean that people with high blood pressure should have less than
two drinks a day.
