The Bible & Alcohol Use Volume 1 | Page 30

HEADACHES The vessels of the skin dilate under the influence of alcohol. This accounts for a person‟s flushed appearance after drinking. It gives him the false impression that he is warm even in cold surroundings. Alcohol gives a warm sensation but in reality it cools the body by increasing the blood flow near the skin, causing a loss of body heat. [You & Your Health, v1, p. 422] HEART The possible beneficial action of red wine on cardiovascular health has been intentionally exaggerated for commercial reasons, as has been recognized by the World Health Organization [WHO, Nov 1, 1994]. WHO states categorically “Alcohol intake as prevention for heart disease should not be promoted as a public health measure.” Drinking two glasses of wine per day may reduce myocardial infarction (heart) risk however consumption increases arterial 29 CIRCULATION Red wine and beer are the products most responsible for migraine headaches. Alcohol is a chemical called ethanol. Ethanol may cause headaches by several means. First, it is a direct vasodilator which in some individuals may cause a headache. Second, ethanol is a natural diuretic; this leads to excretion of salt, vitamins and minerals from the body through the kidneys. Excess consumption of ethanol may produce dehydration and chemical imbalances in the body. Except in homemade “moonshine” we consume ethanol in beverages that contain other chemicals. These chemicals are called congeners which impart the specific tastes and flavours that make each beverage unique. These congeners also have a variety of effects that can cause headaches, alter other chemicals in the body, and induce the hangover effect if consumed in excess. Page Beer drinkers are at an especially high risk of rectal cancer, 73% higher than non-drinkers. Alcohol content contains carcinogenic nitrosamine formed during the fermentation process. Alcohol is a co-carcinogen, meaning that its effect is to amplify the influence of other circumstances that are known to cause cancer. The evidence points clearly to an increase in cancer susceptibility in those tissues that come in contact with the alcohol: the mouth, the pharynx, the larynx, the esophagus, and the stomach.” [You & Your Health, v2, p. 139] Studies across the board prove that cancer is more frequent among moderate drinkers. There is a best selling cancer recovery book found in the health food stores, or online, entitled The Grape Cure. [Johanna Brandt] In this book, only the purest unfermented grape is used.