BEATING THE BLOOD PRESSURE BLUES FOR A HEALTHY HEART: ALCOHOL RESTRICTION

Most patients with mild to moderate hypertension can continue to drink moderately. But excessive amounts of alcohol can result in elevated blood pressure. Heavy drinking also lessens inhibitions and may lead to behaviours including overeating that impede blood pressure control.
If you enjoy a drink now and then, do so in moderation. Don’t drink more than the equivalent of 30 ml of ethanol, pure alcohol, daily. That comes out to 55 ml of 100-proof whisky or other distilled spirits, 225 ml of standard table wine, or 680 ml of beer.
Alcohol also provides a lot of empty kilojoules. A 340 ml bottle of beer packs about 630 kilojoules; a 115 ml glass of wine has about 336 kilojoules. And 55 ml of gin, whisky or scotch contains about 715 kilojoules. That really adds up over the course of the week, and makes weight control much more difficult.
Life is often a matter of give and take. If you enjoy that glass of wine with dinner, or that bottle of beer during the football game on TV, just remember that you are consuming kilojoules. Compensate for that intake by cutting back on other non-essential kilojoules.
Of course, your own program of hypertension control may call for even more stringent alcohol restriction. By all means discuss this with your doctor. He may suggest abstinence for a while. Then you might be able to add back a drink now and then and see whether you can maintain control.
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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol

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