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From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug, best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. While it was a common primary fuel in early liquid-fuel rocket motors, it is widely used as a fuel additive, and is extensively used as a solvent.

Ethanol is a straight-chain alcohol, and its chemical formula is C₂H₅OH (or CH₃-CH₂-OH). It has a molecular mass of 46.07 and a normal boiling point of 78.32 °C.

Contents 1 Health effects 1.1 Harmful 1.2 Beneficial 2 References

Health effects

Harmful

Heavy drinking can lead to alcohol withdrawal when drinking is stopped.

Beneficial

Moderate drinking is associated with reduced cardiac morbidity. Starting moderate drinking during middle age is also associated with cardiovascular benefits and reduced total mortality.^[1].^[2]

References

1. ↑ Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Simona Costanzo, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Maria B. Donati, Licia Iacoviello L and Gionanni de Gaetano (2006). "Alcohol dosing and total mortality in men and women: an updated meta-analysis of 34 prospective studies". Arch. Intern. Med. 166 (22): 2437–45. DOI:10.1001/archinte.166.22.2437. PMID 17159008.
2. ↑ D.E. King DE, A.G. Mainous and M.E. Geesey (March 2008). "Adopting moderate alcohol consumption in middle age: subsequent cardiovascular events". Am. J. Med. 121 (3): 201–6. DOI:10.1016/j.amjmed.2007.12.004. PMID 18328303.