4 ms·

It seems like people are trying to min-max their lives and in doing so are missing the forest for the trees. Not a single drop of alcohol is healthy, not a sing

by jack_h 2y ago

It seems like people are trying to min-max their lives and in doing so are missing the forest for the trees. Not a single drop of alcohol is healthy, not a single photon hitting bare skin is healthy, etc. In the end life is full of unknowns. There are people in their 90s who drink like a fish and smoke like a chimney. There are people who led a very healthy lifestyle and died in their 40s. Don't forget to enjoy life while trying to make it last as long as possible. "Everything in moderation, including moderation." -Oscar Wilde

paulryanrogers 2y ago
> not a single photon hitting bare skin is healthy For vitamin D it'll be more unhealthy to never get sunlight exposure.
- _yb2s 2y ago
  This- people are 'min-maxing' on single isolated dimensions, and not looking at the bigger picture. Sun does a lot more than increase vitamin D, it also increases metabolic rate by acting directly on the mitochondria, lowers blood pressure, calibrates the circadian rhythm, coordinates eye development, and many other vitally important things.... and it turns out the most of the most deadly types of skin cancer aren't even caused by sun exposure. When you unnaturally radically alter your diet, physical environment, or lifestyle to an extreme outside of normal human experience based on trying to optimize a single variable in attempt to be healthier, it is almost guaranteed to backfire.
- scottlamb 2y ago
  I think you're making the parent's point that you should be suspicious of the extremes. But just for completeness: you can satisfy your vitamin D need through diet, particularly oily fish like sardines and salmon. At least I hope so, because for various scheduling/remote work/family reasons I don't get a lot of daylight these days. I run and bike outside, but generally not during peak daylight hours.
  - paulryanrogers 2y ago
    Perhaps I was vague. Sunlight is usually vital. Alcohol is never necessary, at least not in this modern age of refrigeration. (Tolerating it is likely a side effect of needing to consume fermented fruit to survive.) So trying to debate extremes may become a straw man that diffuses useful discussion around alcohol.

by jack_h 2y ago

paulryanrogers 2y ago

> not a single photon hitting bare skin is healthy For vitamin D it'll be more unhealthy to never get sunlight exposure.

_yb2s 2y ago
This- people are 'min-maxing' on single isolated dimensions, and not looking at the bigger picture. Sun does a lot more than increase vitamin D, it also increases metabolic rate by acting directly on the mitochondria, lowers blood pressure, calibrates the circadian rhythm, coordinates eye development, and many other vitally important things.... and it turns out the most of the most deadly types of skin cancer aren't even caused by sun exposure. When you unnaturally radically alter your diet, physical environment, or lifestyle to an extreme outside of normal human experience based on trying to optimize a single variable in attempt to be healthier, it is almost guaranteed to backfire.
scottlamb 2y ago
I think you're making the parent's point that you should be suspicious of the extremes. But just for completeness: you can satisfy your vitamin D need through diet, particularly oily fish like sardines and salmon. At least I hope so, because for various scheduling/remote work/family reasons I don't get a lot of daylight these days. I run and bike outside, but generally not during peak daylight hours.
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  Perhaps I was vague. Sunlight is usually vital. Alcohol is never necessary, at least not in this modern age of refrigeration. (Tolerating it is likely a side effect of needing to consume fermented fruit to survive.) So trying to debate extremes may become a straw man that diffuses useful discussion around alcohol.