OT: Some good news for a change

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

From tomorrow's Electronic Telegraph

Light drinking helps liver to recover By Ben Fenton, in Washington

A COUPLE of drinks a day can help to repair a damaged liver, according to research published yesterday.

A study by Dr Gerald Minuk of the University of Manitoba in Canada, who has spent years getting rats drunk [ed.'s note: haven't we all, dear?], indicates that light drinking is better for the liver than no drinking at all. The liver is the organ that metabolises alcohol and suffers badly from heavy drinking but also has the capacity to regenerate itself.

Dr Minuk found that the livers of rats given between two or three drinks a day repaired themselves at more or less the same rate as those in a teetotal control group while rats that had one or two drinks a day benefited from faster repairs to their damaged livers. Rats who had four or more drinks a day damaged their liver further.

Dr Minuk said: "As liver disease specialists, we certainly don't want to provide the population with an excuse to abuse alcohol or somehow damage their health. But in certain clinical conditions, where patients do not have alcohol abuse problems, one or two drinks per day might be considered beneficial rather than harmful to the liver."

Earlier research found that one to two glasses of wine a day can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Light drinking helps liver to recover By Ben Fenton, in Washington

Pharmacology and therapeutics: Dr Gerald Minuk - University of Manitoba Alcohol and liver disease - British Liver Trust Alcohol and the liver: myths and facts - American Liver Foundation Institute of Alcohol Studies [UK]

A COUPLE of drinks a day can help to repair a damaged liver, according to research published yesterday.

A study by Dr Gerald Minuk of the University of Manitoba in Canada, who has spent years getting rats drunk, indicates that light drinking is better for the liver than no drinking at all. The liver is the organ that metabolises alcohol and suffers badly from heavy drinking but also has the capacity to regenerate itself.

Dr Minuk found that the livers of rats given between two or three drinks a day repaired themselves at more or less the same rate as those in a teetotal control group while rats that had one or two drinks a day benefited from faster repairs to their damaged livers. Rats who had four or more drinks a day damaged their liver further.

Dr Minuk said: "As liver disease specialists, we certainly don't want to provide the population with an excuse to abuse alcohol or somehow damage their health. But in certain clinical conditions, where patients do not have alcohol abuse problems, one or two drinks per day might be considered beneficial rather than harmful to the liver."

Earlier research found that one to two glasses of wine a day can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 08, 1999

Answers

Were those rats drinking single shots, or doubles?

-- Earl (earl.shuholm@worldnet.att.net), November 08, 1999.

Remember the old John Belushi skit, "the liver's like a muscle, you gotta work it out".

-- PD (PaulDMaher@att.worldnet.com), November 08, 1999.

If you're talking about the rats I tried to get drunk, then it was doubles--and not call brands.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 08, 1999.

Lifting a glass of 92 mouton cadet red to you Git.

Cheers! Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 08, 1999.


I have a California wine collection in my stash. And two bottles from Italy (For the canned nasty speg sauce dinners.) If one drinks wine with a meal one can minimize reaction to any questionable food. I don't drink wine but I intend to during any rocky time period. After reading about the heart attacks, strokes and liver maybe I should be pouring myself a glass.

I'm just not keen on wine. I only like Jack Daniels in a coke, or maybe a pre-made Margarita. Do I have JD in my stash? No, [sigh] wish I did but it's so costly. My tobacco stash and CA wines were bad enough as a luxury. I had to buy a small refrigerator for my tobacco stash. It got too big to have off to one side of my normal refrigerator. I guess I am really insecure about not having a cigarette. I've even got Turkish tobacco pouches and french paper wraps and a little roller just in case I come to the end of "real" cigarettes. I believe if I ever have to pull out the Turkish pouches, any compliance was a lie, and it is indeed The End Of The World As We Know It. In the meantime, I've been spending a fortune on worthy brands like Benson and Hedges Methol Light 100's for normal life, because it might be the last time I can have a worthy cigarette. What is ahead of me in a Y2K crises are unworthy off brands. What if I am forced to smoke a non-menthol cigarette? The thought is too horrible I had to make a stash.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 08, 1999.



Paula**

I too have been stocking up on wine. I buy two bottles of really nice cabernet (Stags Leap, Cake Bread Cellars, Sterling Vinyards Reserve etc.) each trip to costco. Its about 1/2 of safeway price. If I can make it out to the wineries, it costs even less (Coppola just introduced a wonderful sparkling wine called Sophia, I don't think its available retail yet). But for the big stock up - a couple of cases of Sonoma Creek Cab --- It is the best wine for the least amount of money you can find. As for smokes, I have been thinking about quitting for awhile now, but I don't think a crisis/stressful situation would be the best time, I can get by o.k. on 3 a day (it really is time to quit).

Cheers to all--- ;-)

-- cabernetisgood (karlacalif@aol.com), November 09, 1999.


Paula, this site is definitely for you--and any other smokers out there:

http://chills.com/chillssurvivalkit.html

All kinds of smoking accessories, including filters for that Turkish.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 09, 1999.


For those of you folks stocking tobaccy, remember they have a shelf life that is limited. Be aware that refrigeration extends the life and moisture of the product. FYI

-- Big D (ddac@yahoo.com), November 09, 1999.

Old Git: You almost have to have some Cutty and water before reading some of the postings earlier this evening. You only have paranoia unless people really hate you!

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), November 09, 1999.

Got Cabernet Sauvignon?

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 09, 1999.


Spending scarce preparation funds on tobacco intended for personal use?!? All I can say is that anyone who does this from rational premises either must have >2 years of ALL of the essentials for sustaining life already in hand, or views Y2K as less than a 4.0. I suspect that in many cases, though, is an inability to let go of the old "civilized" pleasures to the extent necessary to prepare fully for the uncertainities about to hit us. (I am charitably not referring to addiction here.)

www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), November 09, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ