Alcohol and the heart
	Alcohol and cancer
	Women and Alcohol
	Alcohol and diabetes
	Drinking as you get older?
	Alcohol and it's effects
	Alcohol and allergies
What the Doctor says

Allergies usually manifest themselves as migraine headaches, itchiness, rashes, bowel colic, diarrhoea, asthma, swollen face and watery swollen eyes for example. An allergic response is a response to protect the body from allergens - harmful foreign matter that we become exposed to mainly in the form of pollens, dust, hairs, fibres, foods and drinks.

Many consumers think that the main cause of allergy in wine is due to sulphur dioxide (SO2), a natural preservative, unless you have a similar reaction when eating dried fruits, such as apricots, this is unlikely as SO2 levels will be much higher on the fruits than in wine.

What is more likely is a reaction either to the histamines or tannins (both occur naturally in beer and wine), both of which come from the skin of the grape hence are usually found more in red wines than white wines.

Allergy is not to be confused with a hangover. If you drink sensibly, ideally with food and follow government guidelines, you will not suffer the side effects of over consumption.

Hangover?

A hangover is where one develops headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy and a dry mouth due to excessive alcohol consumption. It is due to dehydration especially of the brain which temporarily shrinks. The reason one becomes dehydrated is because of the osmotic pressure and diuretic effects of alcohol.

The way to prevent a hangover is to drink less alcohol and drink plenty of water or soft drinks whilst consuming alcohol. it is advisable to start a meal or a party with a soft drink then have one after each alcoholic drink. Binge drinking is the most harmful way of drinking, that is drinking lightly, or perhaps not at all during the week, and then 'saving up' consumption for heavy bouts of drinking at the weekend, often on an empty stomach. Recent surveys show that people who binge (that is over 5-6 drinks or 40-48g alcohol at a time) negate the protective effect of alcohol against coronary heart disease - even if moderation is practised at other times.

For in-depth information, please visit the AIM-Gateway site at www.aim-digest.com/gateway/