This article is all about alcohol and cholesterol and the effects it has upon our bodies.

Eating and drinking are two of the most normal activities in a person’s life. We do it to nourish our bodies, use it as a tool for socialization, and for many, it is a leisurely vehicle for relaxation and enjoyment.

However, we may as well call them double-edged swords. Because it is so common and normal in people’s lives, a lot of individuals fail to see the serious consequences if taken in excess.

In our daily frenetic schedules, we are getting mixed messages on alcohol and cholesterol Yes, we are told they’re not good for us, and yet advertisements abound!  Fast food, instant meals, and drinking have become symbols for bothe the succesfula nd partying crowd as well as the miserably depressed. It is easy to lose sight of the risks, since alcohol and cholesterol have been ingrained in the culture as common sustenance.

Statistics show that 50% of Americans have levels above the suggested limit for cholesterol. United States Department of Health reports of 2008 show that “19 million individuals over the age of 12 (with 1.2 million of these between 12 and 17) needed treatment for alcoholism the previous year.” Clearly, more and more people cross the line of control with alcohol and cholesterol.

Many failed to realize that alcohol and cholesterol are the two leading direct contributors to heart disease. And according to Laurence S. Sperling, MD, director of preventive cardiology at  Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga., “cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death and illness in our society.”

Build up of fatty plaque in the walls of the arteries are caused by uncontrolled high cholesterol levels also known as atherosclerosis. Plaque forms in many locations in the body if there is more bad cholesterol taken in. These areas include:

* the coronary arteries, which are essential to life because they are responsible for delivering blood to the heart,

* the aorta, which in turn are responsible for delivering blood that comes from the heart to the rest of the body

* two branches of the aorta, the very important  carotid arteries, which are tasked to make sure that blood goes to the brain

* the peripheral arteries, responsible for circulation to the legs the extremities

* The arteries to the kidneys.

There are arguments that there is a positive relationship with alcohol and cholesterol in relation to heart disease. Studies have been conducted that moderate drinking of alcohol increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) which significantly lowers bad cholesterol in the body. Some studies even say that drinking in moderation lower rates of heart disease, and people who drink moderately might even live longer than those who abstain. The studies are still inconclusive, and the mechanisms of how exactly alcohol does this is still under observation.

Now, before you go to the nearest bar and order yourself some wine and beer to toast to your heart, you must remind yourself that the studies are still inconclusive. Also, that over imbibing of alcohol does more damage – it causes multiple organ diseases including cardiac arrests.

Drinking too much alcohol actually increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, raise blood pressure, contributes to obesity, and increases the levels of fats called triglycerides in the blood. There is a fine line between benefit and harm between alcohol and cholesterol and many have failed to see that they have crossed the line. Think well before you eat and drink, there are great risks about your health involved.