Q I drink often but I'm careful about what I eat with alcohol. Is that still bad for my cholesterol?
A Alcohol itself greatly raises triglycerides and disrupts the liver's lipid metabolism. Even if you watch your side dishes, heavy drinking keeps numbers from improving, so cutting back on alcohol is one of the keys to lipid management.
Detailed Answer
Alcohol increases triglyceride synthesis in the liver, raising levels significantly. Even switching to lighter side dishes won't help much if you drink often and heavily — triglycerides tend to stay high and can progress to fatty liver, worsening metabolism further. For those with high triglycerides, cutting back on alcohol alone often improves numbers noticeably. If quitting entirely is difficult, starting by reducing both frequency and amount is a realistic first step.
Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective
In Korean medicine, frequent drinking is seen as building dampness and heat in the body, making metabolism sluggish. At Dongjedang, we focus on clearing the damp-heat and phlegm-dampness created by alcohol and easing the liver's processing burden. As you work on cutting back drinking, clearing the already-built-up excess helps triglycerides and belly fat decrease together.
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