Heavy Drinking in Youth Could Harm Your Arteries as You Get Older

A recent study found that those who drank heavily in their youth can have problems with their arteries later on in life. The arteries naturally become less elastic with age, but this new study shows that heavy drinking in youth can cause arteries to become stiff sooner.

The study was done with 1,600 people between the ages of 17 and 24 who smoked and drank regularly. Artery stiffness increased by an average of 10.3% between ages 17 and 24 – with a slightly greater increase in women.

Researcher Hugo Walford, a medical student at University College London, said, “There was some evidence of a graded increase with heavier usage, meaning that the more you drink, the greater the increase in arterial stiffness.”

The study was done with those who never drank, drain four drinks a day, and drank more than five drinks a day. Those who didn’t smoke smoked fewer than ten cigarettes a day, and more than ten cigarettes a day were also studied. More extreme drinking and smoking showed a much higher risk.

Waldorf said, “These results indicate that these behaviors could put young people on a life-course trajectory starting with early arterial stiffening, which may eventually lead to heart disease and stroke.”

He warned that even though young adults might think that their bad habits will not catch up to them, they will. Eventually, the overuse of alcohol and cigarettes will lead to serious health issues down the road.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
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• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
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