Since ancient times, alcohol has been closely related to human life. Alcohol is used as a drug in TCM. TCM believes that alcohol as the king of all drugs and it has the actions of dredging meridians, activating collaterals, promoting the circulation of qi and blood, improving appetite, removing fatigue, making people happy and relaxed with brisk sensation if it is moderately drunk. The main constituent of alcohol is ethanol. Drinking alcohol causes excitation, dilates blood vessels and accelerates blood circulation. Therefore, it can excite nerves and relieve fatigue. The stimulation of alcohol on taste sense and olfaction can reflectively increase respiratory capacity and excretion of digestive juice. Learn more about Chinese medicine, please continue to read Disorder Activity of Qi.

Accordingly, drinking a small amount of alcohol before meals can strengthen the stomach and improve appetite; drinking a small quantity of alcohol before bed time can relieve fatigue due to muscular tension and promote sleeping; drinking a bit of alcohol at daytime can excite nerves and make people work energetically. Studies in recent years have discovered that drinking a little alcohol can prevent myocardiac infarction and cerebral thrombosis, reduce the incidence of cardiocerebrovascular diseases. Learn more about Chinese medicine, please continue to read Improper Diet.

A great number of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign data have indicated that drinking a small amount of alcohol is beneficial to the human body while overdrinking and addiction to it may be harmful and give rise to various diseases or aggravate diseases. Prolonged stimulation of alcohol on the stomach may cause chronic gastritis and malnutrition; prolonged drinking alcohol on an empty stomach may result in fatty liver and cirrhosis due to the decomposition of alcohol within the liver.

Drinking alcohol may induce cardiac lipoidal change, reduce myocardiac elasticity and cardiac contractility, promote angiosclerosis and cerebrovascular accident in the patients with chronic alcoholism; overdrinking may aggravate primary diseases and is not beneficial to the recovery from diseases and longevity in some patients with chronic hepatic diseases, chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pulmonary emphysema and chronic gastritis. Learn more about Chinese medicine, please continue to read Unhygienic Food.