Ahmed and his friends had almost finished the bottle of tequila, and were out for a cruise. He drove the 2004 Ford Taurus down windy roads at 130 km per hour. When he hit the hill the car went airborne for three seconds. They landed, and flipped three times. Ahmed and his friends escaped the accident unhurt, but the car was totaled. "I wouldn't have sped up the hill if I wasn't drunk, Ahmed told Daily News Egypt. "Any sane person would have slowed down. He had been drinking steadily for a couple of months. On a typical day he would drink a half to three quarters of a bottle of hard liquor. Although he would wake up feeling horrible, a quick drink would heal his ailments. He had felt his health deteriorating, but didn't change his consumption levels until after the accident. "That moment made me cut down on alcohol, said Ahmed. "You realize it puts you in danger and others too. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) alcohol consumption levels should not exceed one drink containing 14 grams of pure alcohol for women, and two for men. Depending on the brand name, this comes to about one regular beer, or one shot of hard liquor. Anything more could be severely detrimental to one's health. "Alcohol is metabolized in the liver by enzymes. However, the liver can only metabolize a small amount of alcohol at a time, leaving the excess alcohol to circulate throughout the body, reads the NIH website. "The intensity of the effect of alcohol on the body is directly related to the amount consumed. Alcohol in too large a quantity could lead to severe health complications. Liver cirrhosis, or the damage of liver cells, pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, and various cancers in the liver, mouth and throat are just a few of the serious diseases caused by excessive alcohol consumption. The dangers don't stop at health complications, NIH states "unintentional injuries as a health risk to alcohol consumption. Ahmed's accident is a normal side effect of drinking and driving. Most alcoholic drinks are labeled with warnings against operating heavy machinery. The risk of alcohol abuse, and addiction is also listed. According to Dr Mimet Meleigy alcohol consumption is not all bad. Studies have proven that a glass of red wine a day can keep the heart doctor away. These studies are not new. The potential benefits of red wine have been reported since the time of Julius Caesar. He ordered that his soldiers drink red wine with meals to protect them against stomach infections. Throughout history the potential benefits of red wine have included disinfectants for gastrointestinal and superficial wounds. Recent studies by institutions such as Oxford medical school support these theories. "The most famous paradox of the French, who consume a high fat diet and yet have a low incidence of heart disease, is thought to be due to their regular consumption of red wine, said Dr Meliegy in an article written for Daily News Egypt. Red wine gets its healing ability from powerful antioxidants found in grape skins. These antioxidants help prevent heart attacks by reducing cholesterol levels and clots in arteries. These reactants also kill cancer cells, reduce DNA mutations, and prevent the formation of tumor feeding blood vessels. "The relative risk of developing symptomatic coronary heart disease was reduced by one-quarter following wine alcohol intake of 5-30 grams per day, stated the Oxford study. Yet, there is a thin line between healthy and dangerous. The same study explains that for most people consuming 10-20 grams of alcohol per day can lead to the aforementioned health risks. Nuts such as peanuts, and fruits such as raspberries have the same antioxidants and effects as red wine, making it an unnecessary risk. "Although mortality rates from heart disease may be decreased in those who drink one or two glasses of red wine per day, mortality rates climb rapidly with increasing number of drinks a day, said Dr. Meliegy. For Ahmed, moderation has been key. "I drink two to three drinks when I'm out with friends, he said. "That way, I don't get wasted, but I still have a good time. I feel healthier, and better now that I've learned how to control my drinking.
