Geek Habitat

From the medical research studies whose findings seem a little suspect department comes a study that drinking 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day and exercising offers more cardiac and cholesterol benefits than exercising longer and -not- imbibing at all (or much less than 1-2 drinks/day, at any rate.) They go so far as to say that those who drink 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day and DON’T exercise have the same cardiac benefits as those who do not drink but DO exercise. The study’s sample size and duration? 12,000 people over a 20-year period, so pretty compelling, right?

The next thing I expect to hear is that consuming an entire Hershey bar a day actually causes you to gain IQ points or something…

It sounds great and all, but before you do a fist pump in the air and throw back those 1-2 drinks a day, the study found there was no benefit in drinking this often until you were at least 45 years of age… and you can’t save up your “weekly allotment” of alcohol for the week and consume it all in one sitting, either.

/shrug

My vice is Dr. Pepper. I might as well have an I.V. drip of the stuff, and it’s been that way for years (with only one blip in the right direction, when I was pregnant and intentionally cut back, and then lost the taste for the stuff entirely, for a time.) As far as alcohol, I have maybe six to eight alcoholic drinks PER YEAR (always a pina colada, nothing fancier, stronger or more “cultured” or “cool” than that. Sorry homebrew-meisters, I can’t stand beer at all, or at least haven’t met one I like) I’m a little ahead for the year so far, having already had two pina coladas in mid-January. I’d rather cut out Dr. Pepper entirely, thereby reducing the empty calories and excessive sugars and caffeine, than hop on the drinking bandwagon. Perhaps if I liked something a little harder and less calorie-rich than pina coladas, I’d be doing the fist pump celebration, too. Maybe it’s time to crack open the half dozen or so wines we’ve amassed over the years (and probably been storing improperly the entire time!)

.meh, I think I’ll just hop on the bike more and down Dr. Pepper less, and stick to my 6-8 alcoholic drinks a year. For every study that says something helps your heart/lungs/brain, a subsequent study finds it doubles your risk of cancer or causes premature something or was a flawed study to begin with, and actually hastens heart/lung disease or mental defects.

Everything in moderation.