Subject: Re: Alcohol and Eyesight
As a woman I am now clear that 2 glasses of wine, DAILY, is too much,

With amazing timing, an article in yesterday's NYTimes presented a spectrum of evidence and guidance underlining the reality that:

Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health

Some excerpts.....

Sorry to be a buzz-kill, but that nightly glass or two of wine is not improving your health.

'Excessive alcohol use' technically means anything above the U.S. Dietary Guidelines' recommended daily limits. That's more than two drinks a day for men and more than one drink a day for women. (But)there is also emerging evidence 'that there are risks even within these levels, especially for certain types of cancer and some forms of cardiovascular disease,' said Marissa Esser, who leads the alcohol program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Scientists think that the main way alcohol causes health problems is by damaging DNA. When you drink alcohol, your body metabolizes it into acetaldehyde, a chemical that is toxic to cells. Acetaldehyde both 'damages your DNA and prevents your body from repairing the damage,' Dr. Esser explained. Alcohol also creates oxidative stress, another form of DNA damage that can be particularly harmful to the cells that line blood vessels. Oxidative stress can lead to stiffened arteries, resulting in higher blood pressure and coronary artery disease.

'It fundamentally affects DNA, and that's why it affects so many organ systems,' Dr. Naimi said. Over the course of a lifetime, chronic consumption gradually 'damages tissues.'

The risk of developing alcoholic liver disease is greatest in heavy drinkers, but one report stated that five years of drinking just two alcoholic beverages a day can damage the liver.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/0...