Alcohol (from lat. spiritus– spirit) is an organic compound that has a diverse and extensive class. The most famous and widespread are ethyl, methyl And phenylethyl alcohols. Various types alcohols can not only be obtained in laboratory conditions, but also found in nature. They are found in plant leaves (for example, methyl), in naturally fermented organic products (ethanol), in essential vegetable oils. Also, some vitamins belong to the alcohol class: , B8 and. Under normal physical conditions, alcohol has a transparent color, a sharp characteristic odor and taste, and is a good solvent for oily and fat-containing substances. The alcohol strength varies from 95.57 to 100 vol.
Drinks containing alcohol have been known to mankind since ancient times. There is historical evidence that more than 8 thousand years BC. people drank fermented fruit drinks and knew about their effect on the body. The first drink saturated with a large percentage of alcohol was made by Arab chemists in the 6th-7th centuries. In Europe, ethyl alcohol was first produced in Italy in the 11th-12th centuries. On the territory Russian Empire the first strong alcoholic drink was Aquavit, which was brought by Genoese ambassadors in 1386. However, 100% alcohol was obtained in Russia through chemical experiments only in 1796 by chemist T.E. Lovitz.
There are two main industrial methods for producing ethyl alcohol: synthetic and natural fermentation. The most popular is the second method. Fruits and berries, grains, potatoes, rice, corn, starch, and raw cane sugar are used as raw materials. The reaction to form alcohol begins to occur only in the presence of yeast, enzymes and bacteria. The production process has several main stages:
- selection, washing and grinding of raw materials;
- breakdown of starchy substances by fermentation to simple sugars;
- yeast fermentation;
- distillation in booster columns;
- purification of the resulting aqueous-alcoholic liquid from impurities and heavy fractions.
It is almost impossible to obtain alcohol of the proper concentration at home.
Alcohol is widely used in various industries. It is used in medicine, perfume and cosmetic production, food, alcoholic beverage and chemical industries.
The benefits of alcohol
Alcohol has a large amount beneficial properties and methods of application. It is an antiseptic and deodorizing agent used to disinfect medical instruments, skin and hands of healthcare workers before surgery. Alcohol is also added as an antifoaming agent to a ventilator and used as a solvent in the manufacture of medicines, extracts and tinctures. In the alcoholic beverage industry, alcohol is used to fortify alcoholic beverages, and in the food industry - as a preservative and solvent for natural dyes and flavors.
In everyday life, alcohol is used for rubbing when high temperature, warming compresses and for preparing medicinal tinctures. Those. Alcohol in its pure form is an empty drink, which is refined by infusing it with medicinal herbs and fruits.
To treat the respiratory system, throat for colds, sore throat and bronchitis, it is necessary to use tincture of eucalyptus, calendula and kalanchoe. Take 100 g of all ingredients, chop thoroughly and pour a liter bottle into the floor. Pour alcohol on top until completely covered and leave for three days in a dark place. Dilute the finished infusion in warm water in a ratio of 1:10 and gargle at least 3 times a day.
For hypertension, heart and vascular diseases, you can use a tincture of rose petals (300 g), grated red beets (200 g), cranberry juice (100 g), juice of one lemon, liquid honey (250 g) and alcohol (250 g). ml.). All components must be thoroughly mixed and left to infuse for 4-5 days. The finished tincture should be taken 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.
To narrow dilated veins, it is necessary to make rubbing and compresses from horse chestnut tincture. To prepare it, chop 6-10 medium chestnuts and pour alcohol (500 g) into them. The tincture should be infused for 14 days in a dark place. The finished medicine should be rubbed with massaging movements 3 times a day into the legs with pronounced veins and taken orally 30 drops also 3 times a day. The course of treatment must be carried out within a month.
A good choleretic agent is tincture of barberry fruits. To do this, pour fresh or dried fruits (2 tablespoons) with alcohol (100 g) and leave for 14 days. Take the finished infusion, diluting 20-30 drops into 50 ml. water 3 times a day. The effectiveness of treatment begins to appear after 15 days of systematic use.
Harm of alcohol and contraindications
Alcohol vapors that are used in industry (ethanol, methanol, isopropanol), with prolonged inhalation exposure, can lead to lethargy, narcotic effects or death. The probability of one outcome or another depends on the time of inhalation of the vapors - from 8 to 21 hours.
Methyl alcohol, when used internally, has severe toxicological poisoning, which has a detrimental effect on the nervous (convulsions, convulsions, epileptic seizures), cardiovascular (tachycardia) systems, affects the retina and optic nerve, causing complete blindness. If more than 30 g of this alcohol is ingested, death occurs.
Ethyl alcohol is less dangerous, but also has a number of negative effects on the body. Firstly, it is quickly absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, the concentration of which reaches its maximum 20-60 minutes after administration. Secondly, it has a dual effect on the nervous system: first causing strong excitement, and then sharp depression. At the same time, in large quantities Cells of the cerebral cortex die and degrade. Thirdly, the functioning of internal organs and systems is disrupted: liver, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas and others.
There are few absolute abstainers among our contemporaries. Most often, people give up alcohol due to serious health problems, sometimes due to a certain life position or religious requirements.
Among those who allow themselves to “drink” from time to time, there are many people who believe that alcohol may well improve their health. The benefits of alcohol – is it a myth or truth?
Is there medical evidence that can strengthen supporters of the opinion about the positive effects of alcohol on the body in their belief? Or are the skeptics right who call alcohol poison?
One day (this was in the 20th century, when discussions about the effects of alcohol on humans were already in full swing), doctors from the Dutch city of Zuften decided to conduct an experiment. It was long-lasting, covering 4 decades and 1373 people.
For forty years, scientists have been observing the lives of people with different attitudes towards alcohol and recording changes in their health. The mortality rate was analyzed in each of the groups: the one that completely abandoned any alcohol-based drinks, the one where they drank moderately, and the group that drank “a little bit at a time.”
It turned out the following:
- Moderate drinkers were significantly less likely to die from cardiovascular diseases than those who did not drink at all (by 34%).
- Among those who consumed no more than 20 g of alcohol per day, the mortality index was reduced by 38% compared to abstainers.
Are there any benefits from alcohol?
Analyzing the results, scientists suggested: alcoholic drinks can help the body become stronger and withstand more noticeable loads.
If you combine vodka with herbs, you will get wonderful tinctures. So, if you have a sore throat, you should gargle with vodka more often; if you have a cough, drink a tincture of honey (no more than 20 g of vodka at a time). eliminates symptoms of cardiovascular diseases.
If you are sick (that is, you feel the first signs of a cold, but there is no fever yet), drink a glass of vodka with honey or a piece of red hot pepper and go to bed. By morning the disease will subside.
Balms
Balms are a type of medicine made on an alcohol basis with the addition of extracts of many useful plants. The strength of the balm is from 40 0 and above. Well-known balms, the positive effects of which on the body are recognized even by official medicine:
- "Riga Black";
- "Bittner";
- "Becherovka";
- "Unicum";
- "Karelian";
- "Gorno-Altai".
These drinks stimulate the immune system, have an analgesic effect, and are a great tonic. Some have a choleretic effect, others have an antispasmodic effect (depending on what components are included in the balm).
Drink these drinks in quantities of no more than 30 ml at a time. Most often consumed after meals, pouring a little into tea or coffee.
You can periodically take a teaspoon a day to prevent painful conditions.
Wine and beer
Wine, especially red, perfectly cleans blood vessels. It helps blood vessels remain elastic and normalizes blood circulation. Red wine is believed to prevent some forms of cancer. It is curious that wine helps keep weight at the desired level: women who are used to drinking about 1-2 glasses a day usually do not gain weight.
(of course, we are talking about a high-quality drink) helps “wash out” sand from the kidneys and relieves stress. Beer “knows how” to remove aluminum salts from the body, which, when accumulated, lead to dangerous diseases. A slight bitterness stimulates the appetite, which allows for faster recovery after long-term illnesses.
They also say that beer prevents premature aging. True, this statement cannot yet be called a scientifically proven fact.
Interesting: almost all alcoholic drinks in small doses stimulate the production of hormones, in particular estrogen, which supports the bone apparatus. In addition, anyone who has experience of “using” will agree with the statement that alcohol improves mood and is extremely calming.
So in small doses, alcoholic drinks are really beneficial. But moderation is very important here. “Drink, and understand your business!” - says folk wisdom. Let's not deny ourselves the joy of drinking wine or cognac sometimes, but let this warning always be ready in our minds. Then alcohol will bring real benefits!
When it comes to alcoholic beverages, they are associated with alcoholism and certainly not with medicine. However, they can still be beneficial and help treat many diseases. But it is worth remembering that alcoholic drinks as medicine can only be used strictly following the dosage. Also, such methods of drug therapy have a lot of contraindications and limitations. Alcohol can only be used if the person has not previously been dependent on it. In addition, it is definitely contraindicated for the treatment of children, adolescents, patients diabetes mellitus and pregnant women.
If a person has even the slightest bit of uncertainty about whether he can resist taking larger doses of alcohol, such treatment is definitely not for him. Remember that drinking alcohol over time causes the body to require more of it. Therefore, under no circumstances should you lose self-control and vigilance when using alcohol as a medicine.
When taking medications, you should not consume any doses of alcohol at the same time, as they can completely distort the medicinal effect.
Remember that vodka and alcohol are completely empty drinks and do not contain anything useful. Various fruits and herbs, on the basis of which rubs and tinctures are prepared, can fill them with healing power. In this form, alcohol promotes the accelerated delivery of the beneficial properties of herbs into the tissues of the body. To understand the benefits of alcohol, it is worth getting acquainted with the recipes in which it appears.
Treatment of respiratory organs:
- Sore throat, bronchitis and colds can be treated by gargling with eucalyptus or calendula tincture. Dilute a teaspoon of tincture in a glass of warm water.
Get rid of for ulcerative sore throat Kalanchoe tincture with vodka will help. Dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:10 and gargle.
- For the treatment of acute respiratory infections or influenza you should drink the following mixture at night: 50g of warm wine and warm mineral water, a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey.
- Pneumonia treated with this remedy: Mix a glass of red wine with a tablespoon of honey and a pinch of lemon balm and thyme. Place the container on the fire and heat, but do not boil. After the medicine has cooled, drink it in small sips and go to bed.
- As an antipyretic you can use the following composition: For a glass of white wine, take a tablespoon of linden honey and lemon juice, and also add a pinch of ground nutmeg. Mix thoroughly, then leave for an hour. Drink one tablespoon strained four times a day.
- To treat a runny nose take propolis tincture and mix it with freshly squeezed beet juice, maintaining a 1:2 ratio. Place the resulting product in your nose up to four times a day.
- Treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Half a liter of red wine infused with two handfuls of rose petals will help cure chronic heart failure. You need to insist for two weeks, and take 50g once a day.
- For the treatment of hypertension mix 150g of sugar and natural liquid honey with 100g of finely chopped aloe and 300g of dry red wine. Mix all this thoroughly, leave for 24 hours, then strain and take for a month and a half. The recommended dosage is a tablespoon three times a day.
Another cure for hypertension: mix a couple of glasses of freshly squeezed beet juice with one and a half glasses of cranberry juice and the juice of one lemon. Add a glass of vodka and 250g of natural liquid honey to this mixture. This remedy should be taken three times a day in the amount of a tablespoon.
- Treatment of varicose veins. Crush six horse chestnuts and pour half a liter of vodka. Leave for two weeks in a place protected from light. Take thirty drops strained three times a day. Continue treatment for one month.
- Organ treatment gastrointestinal tract . Taking 150g of dry red wine daily will help you cope with gastritis with low acidity. It should be consumed, divided in half, morning and evening. Best time to take - half an hour before meals.
- Cure diarrhea A mixture of oak bark, galangal root and marshmallow will help. Pour 30g of this mixture into a liter of red wine and heat it up. Drink one teaspoon hot at intervals of an hour.
- Diuretics and choleretic drugs. Take 25g of birch buds and fill them with half a liter of 90% alcohol. Thaw for two weeks in a place protected from light. Take one teaspoon up to three times daily. The dose should be taken after meals.
- When sluggish gallbladder pour a couple of tablespoons of barberry leaves with one hundred grams of vodka. Leave for two weeks, then take 30 drops, diluting them in a glass of water. Take three doses a day, the course of treatment is half a month.
- For the treatment of joints. Mix vodka and honey in equal proportions. Make compresses with this mixture at night, after heating it.
Finely chop one immortelle bulb and add alcohol, maintaining a ratio of 1:5. Leave for two weeks and use to rub sore joints. This tool will help cope with gout.
Remember that successful treatment is only possible if the dosage and rules for taking medications are strictly followed.
Ekaterina, www.site
Alcohol is one of the most ancient products. Some say it is harmful. Others say that alcohol in moderation is beneficial. But no one provides convincing arguments to support their theory.
Find out what happens to the brain when you drink too much alcohol, and what alcohol helps with high blood pressure.
Benefit: in what quantities alcoholic drinks do not harm the body
The World Health Organization has developed safe drinking standards for men and women. A man can drink 75 ml of vodka or 750 ml of beer per day. Women are allowed 50 ml of vodka or 500 ml of beer. This amount does not cause habit or health problems. But only in cases where drinking does not turn into a ritual. If a person cannot do without alcohol every day, at the same time, then we can talk about addiction. Therefore, drinking even small doses of alcoholic beverages should not be daily.
The fact that alcohol is harmful to health is undeniable. But there is evidence that it can also be beneficial. For example, if you drink alcoholic beverages in small quantities, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and even prolongs youth. But it is recommended to drink only natural and high-quality drinks.
Winemakers can talk for a long time about the benefits of wine. Indeed, grapes contain many vitamins, microelements, and flavins. Even from grape seeds, many useful biologically active nutrients are obtained. They are used in folk medicine.
A glass of dry red wine reduces the risk of vascular damage, blood clots and acts as a good antioxidant.
In small doses, a person does not feel intoxicated, he calms down and relieves stress. Alcohol is the best stress-relieving adapter. There is no antidepressant, tranquilizer, or sedative that is stronger than alcohol, which is why people drink strong drinks.
But it all depends on the quantity. Salt, for example, can be called poison if you eat a packet. That is, the rule works in everything: dose - result. In every matter, the main thing is moderation. For example, 30 grams of cognac helps relieve vasospasm: they expand and blood pressure decreases. There is no intoxication from such a dose, the person maintains control over himself. Even in modern pharmacology, herbal tinctures made with alcohol are used. They are taken not in glasses, but in drops, minimizing the negative effects of alcohol.
The benefits of alcohol are not as great as their supporters say strong drinks.
In small quantities, alcoholic drinks can act as:
Sedative.
Vasodilator.
Antioxidant.
But in all these cases, you can choose other drugs and methods that will not cause addiction, compared to strong drinks.
Harm of strong drinks to human health
Alcohol is a foreign substance and a polyvalent poison. It affects the intestines, heart, vision, brain, gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas and reproductive system. Scientists have not yet figured out which specific receptor is responsible for alcohol. Any alcoholic drink causes a number of unhealthy chemical reactions that disrupt the functioning of internal organs And functional systems. There is no part of the human body that is resistant to the pathological effects of alcohol. The liver is especially affected. Regular consumption of strong drinks leads to cirrhosis and cancer.
Alcohol is a good solvent; it destroys various membranes, including brain cells.
It doesn't matter what type of alcohol a person drinks. The body's reaction is the same. At first there is a slight relaxation, and with increasing dosage comes a state of euphoria. At the physiological level, this is numbness of the cerebral cortex, followed by the death of individual areas. The cell cemetery increases with each alcohol intake. The popular saying is true: “if you drink a lot, you’ll drink your brains away.”
For those who are interested in the positive properties of alcoholic beverages, this article presents interesting facts about the benefits of different alcohol and tips on its proper use.
Today there is active propaganda in the world healthy image life, calling for a complete abstinence from alcohol. This decision is quite rational, because overuse hot drinks can cause negative consequences and irreversible changes. But is it as harmful to the human body as its opponents say? Why is alcohol needed in small doses for a person, what are its positive effects, how the athlete’s body reacts to it, as well as when and what drinks should be taken to help your body, read below.
It has been said that alcohol is very beneficial since the time of the great doctor Avicenna, and in the 18th century it was officially proven by several experiments why alcohol is needed. Two groups took part in the trials: “teetotalers” and those who consumed 20 ml of pure alcohol (this amount is contained in a glass of dry red wine). In the second group, the incidence of infectious diseases significantly decreased, and their mortality rate was 6% lower compared to non-drinkers.
Based on the results of the experiment, it can be argued that alcohol is beneficial for the human body, but only when its daily consumption does not exceed 20 ml of pure alcohol. After stopping the daily use of such a dose, there will be no negative consequences, because this amount is normally tolerated by the body.
What positive effects are observed in those who drink a reasonable amount of alcohol daily? It should be noted:
- reducing stress;
- beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system;
- reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes;
- smoothing the negative consequences of hypertension and angina pectoris;
- prevention of diabetes insipidus (type 2);
- reduction of swelling;
- improving the functioning of the nervous system;
- positive effect on brain function;
- a surge of creative energy;
- prevention of lymphoma;
- strengthening the immune system, reducing the number of infectious diseases;
- There will be no negative effects after quitting proper drinking.
Many people see other positive effects. For example, patients with anemia or anemia claim that after regularly drinking half a glass of red wine before bed, the number of dizziness and migraines has decreased, and their blood pressure has increased, which is usually very low. Its benefits were noticed for women who take half a glass of the drink a day - for many of those examined it improved menstrual cycle and skin condition improved. This all happens thanks to increased content antioxidants and vitamins in wine. 
What are the benefits of drinks?
In order to improve your own health, you need not only to know when and how much alcohol to drink. The benefits of each alcoholic drink for the human body are different, so knowing their characteristics can only have positive consequences.
Wine
Wine is a truly noble alcohol, which since the times ancient Greece equated to the blood of the Gods. Previously, this drink was considered a real panacea for the body, because those who take it daily suffered much less from heart disease, remained young and beautiful much longer. It was even given to wounded soldiers to reduce pain shock and speed up blood clotting.
The positive effects of wine come from the antioxidants in the grapes, which are preserved and concentrated as the fruit ferments to make the hot drink. When choosing a wine for health, it is important to pay attention to its composition, which should not contain various powder or sweetening ingredients.
The benefits of wine for humans are great, because it protects the heart and blood vessels from wear and tear, reduces the risk of plaque deposits, and improves blood flow to the brain, speeding up its work. This happens thanks to fructose, antioxidants, vitamins B and K contained in the drink.
Beer
Every active supporter proper nutrition will claim that beer is a useless and harmful product. But this is fundamentally wrong regarding reasonable doses of the drink! After all, real beer contains only natural ingredients: hops and malt from wheat or barley. The first ingredient helps restore hormonal levels for girls, because hop cones contain phytohormones that are similar to female estrogen. Malt is formed when barley or wheat sprouts. This sprout sugar contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals that are absorbed in the body.
Many people get too carried away with beer during feasts, drinking several liters. But the normal daily dose is 300 ml of drink per day. Also, you should not eat it with snacks, nuts, chips or salted fish, because they contain empty unhealthy fats poisoning people. Replace them with unsalted raw nuts or dried fruits.
Those who drink a small amount of beer with dried fruits and honey several times a week can forget about heart ischemia, hormonal disorders and kidney disease. 
Vodka and cognac
You can use vodka or cognac in the form of herbal, fruit, vegetable or berry infusions to combat infectious diseases! It is enough to drink 1 glass before bed, and then go to bed under several blankets. The next morning the condition will improve noticeably. But such treatment cannot be used for children under 14 years of age, and for adults its duration does not exceed a week, so as not to harm the liver.
The athlete's body and alcohol
Many people argue that people who exercise should not drink alcohol at all, but is this true? How does an athlete’s body react to alcohol, what positive consequences can there be for them, and what drinks can they drink?
For example, beer contains a lot of simple sugar, which is necessary for gym goers trying to gain weight. After training, you don’t need to drink liters of it, just drink 250 ml of dark quality beer, then quick replenishment and muscle recovery occurs.
Athletes can afford half a glass of red wine several times a week, because their hearts work actively during prolonged exercise, so in order to smooth out the effects of stress, they need to get a dose of antioxidants, which wine is rich in.
Alcohol is good for athletes, but only for those who take it in reasonable quantities. The daily dose for such people is halved, that is, you can consume no more than 10 ml of pure alcohol per day.
Alcohol can be not only harmful, but also beneficial for the human body; the main thing is to monitor its quality, and also take into account your daily dose, which should not exceed 20 ml. pure alcohol per day (this is half a shot of vodka or cognac, a glass of red wine).
