Dr. Ramesh Babu

Can beer be a healthy drink? Despite the common myths surrounding alcohol consumption and the adverse effects that it has on a person in the long run, a controlled and well-balanced intake of beer is not as bad as it would seem.

Here are a few reasons proving that beer can be healthy for you if taken in the right amount and quantity.

1. In comparison to other alcoholic beverages, beer is relatively healthier for your kidneys. As a matter of fact, studies show that a bottle of beer can actually reduce the risk of acquiring kidney stones by up to 40%.
2. Fiber, as we all know, plays a vital role in digestion. The presence of up to one gram of soluble fiber in just a 30 ml glass of beer (dark beer, in particular) makes the beverage very beneficial for digestion.
3. Fiber present in beer can also help reduce the level of LDL cholesterol (a harmful proponent of cholesterol).
4. It has been proved that beer is a rich source of various B vitamins like vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.
5. The presence of both nicotinic acid and Lactoflavin in beer makes it an effective cure for insomnia.
6. Beer is also helpful in the prevention of blood clots.
7. The presence of high levels of silicon in beer is responsible for bestowing a stronger bone density.
8. Studies have concluded that beer can also reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack.
9. Unlike their non-drinking counterparts, beer drinkers are less vulnerable of experiencing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
10. Because of the presence of certain vitamins, beer has a ton healthy nourishing benefits for the skin.
11. Beer is also useful in fighting against stress.

What are the recommended safe limits of Beer?

1. Men should drink no more than 14 units of Beer per week, these units should be spread out through the week and they should have at least two alcohol-free days a week.
2. Women should drink no more than 14 units of Beer per week, these units should be spread out through the week and they should have at least two alcohol-free days a week.
3. Pregnant women or women trying to conceive should not drink alcohol at all. If they do choose to drink, to minimise the risk to the baby, they should not drink more than 1-2 units of beer once or twice a week and should not get drunk.
4. Despite the above people with increased Triglyceride, Uric Acid should be restricted for consumption of alcohol. People with fatty liver patient with other medication for hypertension, etc. also should refrain from drinking.

People with diabetes who drink should follow these alcohol consumption guidelines:

1. Do not drink more than two drinks of alcohol in a one-day period if you are a man, or one drink if you are a woman.
2. Drink beer only with food.
3. Drink slowly.
4. Avoid "sugary" mixed drinks, sweet wines, or cordials. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a General Physician.

Your eyes are one of the most important sense organs, which help in perceiving up to 80 percent of all major impressions. All your important daily activity like reading, internet surfing, driving etc are done with the help of your eyes. You should never take your eyes for granted. There are many ways in which you can take care of your eyes to ensure that you see and experience the world at its very best.

1. Quit Smoking: Smoking makes you vulnerable to a majority of health related problems. When it comes to the health of your eyes, smoking can place you at a risk of uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of your eye which includes ciliary body, iris and choroid) and cataracts (clouding of the lens in your eyes leading to a blurry vision).
2. Wear sunglasses: Proper sunglasses can protect you from the harmful ultra violet (UV) rays of the sun. You should still use sunglasses even if your contact lenses offer UV protection. Too much of UV rays can cause pingeucula (yellow bump on the eyeball) and other serious eye problems. Polarized lenses can help to give your eyes proper protection while driving.
3. Screen time: Minimize the amount of time staring at the computer screen as it can cause
   • Eye strain
   • Dry eyes
   • Head ache
   • Back and shoulder pain

4. Anti- Glare:  Use an anti-glare screen on your computer at work so that the strain and pressure on your eyes are less.
5. Regular exercise: Exercise such as walking can prevent degeneration of the macula (present in the center of the retina in your eyes) which typically occurs by the time you reach the age of 60.
6. Don't Ignore: You should look at changes in your vision as an early warning sign. The changes would include difficulty to see in low light, hazy and double vision, along with abnormal swelling and severe pain in your eyes.

You should visit your eye doctor for check ups at least once every two years. Eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy have no early warning symptoms and can only be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. You should also ensure that the prescription for your contact lenses and eye glasses are up to date. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a general physician.

Indigestion refers to the discomfort in your upper belly or abdomen after you have eaten your food. Indigestion in many cases has an underlying problem like gastro esophageal reflux disease, ulcers or disorders of your gall bladder. Indigestion is also known as dyspepsia in medical terms.

The causes of indigestion due to the presence of any diseases or underlying medical conditions consist of the following:
1. Problems like ulcers
2. In rare cases it could be initial symptoms of stomach cancer
3. Chronic pancreatitis
4. Thyroid disease
5. Infections in your stomach and irritable bowel syndrome
6. Pregnancy could also result in indigestion

Some of the lifestyle habits that can cause indigestion are mentioned below:
1. Excessive consumption of alcohol
2. Smoking cigarettes
3. Stress and fatigue in daily life
4. Consumption of foods with high fat content
5. Regular and excessive intake of fried and oily foods

Medications can also cause indigestion and some of those could be:
1. Steroid medications
2. Thyroid medicines
3. Certain of antibiotics in heavy doses

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure (HBP) is a long-term or chronic health condition where the pressure of the flow of blood is always high in the arteries. High blood pressure can develop over many years and affects everyone at some point in life but if not treated for a very long time, it can escalate the risks of a number of cardiovascular problems and chronic kidney disorders.

Types:

1. Primary hypertension - High blood pressure caused by genetic, prenatal or other natural causes like aging (people over 60 develop HBP) is known as primary hypertension.

2. Secondary hypertension - Secondary hypertension is that which is caused due to specific conditions, like kidney disorders, lung disorders etc.

Causes:

Blood pressure depends on the amount of blood pumped by the heart and the radius of the blood vessels. The delicate balance can get disturbed due to a number of factors.

Primary hypertension may be caused by genetic factors. There are 35 identified genetic loci related to blood pressure. Mutations in these can cause chronic HBP. Other factors like maternal smoking, deficiency of vitamin D, deficiency of calcium, insufficient breast milk consumption also increase the risk of HBP.

Secondary hypertension is caused by a variety of conditions like hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism, nephritis, asthma, sleep apnea, depression, pregnancy etc. Overconsumption of caffeine, alcohol, sodium and illegal drugs may also be responsible for high blood pressure.

Symptoms:

Hypertension may not show any warning symptoms for several years while it continues to develop. A few tell-tale signs are frequent throbbing headaches, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, excessive sweating but these only occur when there is an extremely serious medical complication.

Treatment and Prevention:

Hypertension is a common condition, especially after the age of 40. Medication may help control severely high blood pressure to an extent but certain lifestyle changes go a long way in both preventing and treating the disorder. Some of them are:

1. Taking regular blood pressure readings after the age of 25. A normal blood pressure is not more than 120/80 mm Hg.
2. Obesity causes hypertension. A normal Body Mass Index of 30kg/sq. m. is to be maintained.
3. The daily diet should include at least 4 to 6 portions of fruits and vegetables.
4. Salt intake is to be limited.
5. Drinking and smoking are to be minimized.
6. Stress and burnout should be avoided.

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a cardiologist and ask a free question.

There are lots of benefits espoused by doctors all over the world about getting adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can have an adverse impact on your daily work life balance and health. Thus, you should never let it happen. If you sleep more than six hours a day it can have a lot of benefits, some of which are mentioned below:

1. Better health: Studies have shown that having a good night’s sleep can help your body avoid serious health problems like diabetes, obesity, heart attacks and various other cardiac problems.

2. Lesser Pain: According to research, if you have chronic or acute pain from an injury, then sleeping for more than six hours can help you get better pain relief. It has been proven in multiple studies that good sleep can be an excellent supplement to pain medications. However, being in pain can make it harder for you to sleep. You should use pain relievers in such cases which can aid sleep, but ensure that you have more than 6 hours of shut eye. 

3. Lower risk of injury: If you have adequate sleep then there are chances that you won’t feel tired during the day while you are out at work. This can prevent accidents if you are driving or even within the household. Deprivation of sleep has lead to many accidents in the past and continues to do so till today.

4. Better mood: Adequate sleep can help you to stay in good mood and research has found sleep has a direct effect on regulating your emotions. This is due to the fact that sleeping for more than six hours a day can prevent you from being exhausted at work.

5. Better memory: Sleep loss can be the reason you have become forgetful. Studies have shown that your brain processes and consolidates the memories from throughout the day while you sleep. So if you don’t get enough sleep it may affect your professional life as you may tend to forget important things that you should remember. 

6. Stronger immunity: Sleeping for more than six hours will give your body the strength required to fight diseases. 

7. Better weight control: Lack of proper sleep can increase your weight. You would feel hungrier and would crave for high calorie foods since lack of enough sleep causes the levels of leptin to drop in the body. Leptin is the hormone, which is responsible for how satisfied you feel with food and a drop in its levels will result in you wanting to eat your more. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.