In some people's minds, alcohol is not a good thing and can cause harm to the human body. In fact, this idea is not entirely correct. While excessive drinking can indeed harm the body, moderate consumption can prevent cardiovascular diseases, relieve fatigue and tension, stimulate appetite and aid digestion, dispel cold, and promote metabolism, among other benefits.
I. The Effects and Benefits of Alcohol
1. Preventing Cardiovascular Disease: Consuming a small amount of liquor can increase the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the human bloodstream. HDL, in turn, can transfer low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which can lead to cardiovascular disease, out of the blood vessels and coronary arteries. This effectively reduces cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries, helping to prevent cardiovascular disease.
2. Relieving Fatigue and Tension: Consuming a small amount of liquor can act on the brain and central nervous system through alcohol, thereby eliminating fatigue and relaxing the nerves.
3. Stimulating Appetite and Aiding Digestion: Drinking a small amount of liquor with a meal can increase appetite and promote food digestion. Of course, excessive consumption can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.
4. Dispelling Cold: Liquor contains a large amount of heat, which is quickly absorbed by the body after consumption.
5. Promoting Metabolism: Liquor contains a relatively high alcohol content and is high in calories, which can promote blood circulation in the human body and provide a beneficial stimulating effect on the skin all over the body. This, in turn, can promote human metabolism. This beneficial stimulating effect can also act on nerve conduction, thereby having a positive effect on the circulation of blood throughout the body.
6. Relieving Muscle Pain and Activating Blood Circulation: Liquor has the effect of relaxing muscles and activating blood circulation to remove stasis. This benefit has long been widely used in folk medicine in China.
II. [Precautions]:
It is contraindicated for those with yin deficiency, blood loss, or severe damp-heat.
① "Compendium of Materia Medica": It is incompatible with Zhiju (Hovenia dulcis), Gehua (Pueraria flower), Chidouhua (red bean flower), and Lüdoufen (mung bean powder), as its cold nature overpowers heat. Excessive drinking injures the spirit, consumes blood, damages the stomach, and depletes essence. Salt-cold water and mung bean powder can counteract its toxicity.?
② "Supplement to Materia Medica": Rice wine should not be consumed with milk, as it causes qi stagnation. All alcoholic drinks should be avoided with sweet things.
③ "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies": The Yellow Emperor said that drinking alcohol after sudden diarrhea causes heat to accumulate in the diaphragm; eating raw vegetables with alcohol and not warming the abdomen causes intestinal obstruction. Bian Que said that long-term drinking rots the intestines and stomach, decays the marrow and steams the sinews, injures the spirit and shortens life; sleeping drunk in the wind with a fan leads to恶风 (evil wind); bathing drunk in cold water leads to pain and paralysis; eating to fullness and then drinking much water and alcohol leads to痞僻 (a type of abdominal mass).?
④ Sun Simiao: Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach will inevitably cause vomiting and nausea.
⑤ Meng Shen: Long-term drinking softens the bones and tendons; sleeping drunk in the wind leads to癜风 (vitiligo).