Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
The holidays are officially here! Many people take this opportunity to have a “good time,” often indulging in the special foods we normally avoid.
Pull out the fruitcake! Auntie’s divine mac ‘n’ cheese is calling! Let’s eat all the different cakes, pies, and cookies we can hold.
For many, this indulgence is just for the season, and they stop there. Unfortunately, others may experience unnecessary weight gain, which can have an adverse effect on their long-term health. On the same note, we see people indulge in alcohol—wine, hard liquor, spritzer, and more. ‘Tis the season, right?
Well, I don’t want to rain on your parade, but there are a few facts about alcohol you may want to hear about.
One fact is that as you get older, your body’s ability to handle alcohol changes—and not in the way most people think.
We’ve seen in the news the growing importance of maintaining lean muscle mass as one ages. Some even call muscle “the currency of aging.” One of the things that declines with muscle mass is the body’s ability to retain fluids.
Studies have shown that the same amount of alcohol will affect a younger person and an older person differently. In a young person, the alcohol may peak faster, but the young person’s more efficient liver clears the alcohol from their system quicker. This can sometimes be accompanied by problematically low sugar levels.
An older person, however, will have lower muscle mass along with a decrease in body fluids, which often leads to higher levels of alcohol in the body. Additionally, an aging liver is not as efficient at clearing alcohol from the blood.
The result is that older individuals achieve a higher alcohol concentration, leading to intoxication faster because their liver is slower at removing the alcohol. Both younger and older individuals may ingest the same amount, with very different outcomes, neither of which is good.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
