How to Figure Out if Moderate Drinking Is Too Risky for You

12 September, 2022 inom ämnet Okategoriserade

what is moderate drinking

But those studies lumped all nondrinkers together, including those who had quit because of substance use issues or illness. As a result, “abstainers” looked relatively unhealthy, and “moderate” drinkers, many of whom exercise and eat well, looked pretty good. Another study found that it is widely assumed that light or moderate drinking is the safest way to to drink alcohol. “Non‐drinkers, both ex‐drinkers and lifelong teetotalers, how long does alcohol say in your system consistently show an increased prevalence of conditions likely to increase morbidity and mortality compared with occasional or light drinkers. In addition, regular light drinkers tend to have characteristics extremely advantageous to health,” the authors wrote. The study, which included nearly 5 million people, found that low-volume drinkers had a significantly lower mortality risk than did lifetime abstainers.

Shifting Benefits and Risks

Brian has a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Benin and has worked as a Lab Scientist and as a public healthcare officer. His hobbies include physical fitness, reading, and social entrepreneurship. Once you are able to control how much you drink, you may find that you’re better able to enjoy family gatherings, alcohol-induced blackouts blackout drunk alcohol blackouts social events, and work events. Moderation can open a window for you to defuse the emotional challenges that create the craving for relief that alcohol provides. And prolonged alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Chronic misuse can also lead to paranoia and hallucinations.

What is the evidence that alcohol drinking can cause cancer?

You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life. A person’s risk of alcohol-related cancers is influenced by their genes, specifically the genes that encode enzymes involved in metabolizing (breaking down) alcohol (27). Brian Obinna Obodeze is a professional health-niche content developer for AlcoRehab.org with six years of experience as a research writer. He is an expert in medical content development, especially in the field of addictions, general health, homeopathic medicine, and pharmaceuticals.

Moderate Drinking and Alcoholism

Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol. To break it down for you further, here’s how both the CDC and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) define a standard drink. Setting up personal guidelines and expectations—and tracking results—can make maintaining moderation easier. You will keep track of what was accomplished and what still needs work. Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder.

what is moderate drinking

Cancer risk

  1. It’s also a good idea to have some days when you don’t drink at all.
  2. A drink is 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits.
  3. For example, any amount of drinking increases the risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
  4. Drinking also adds calories that can contribute to weight gain.
  5. One drink per day is considered moderate drinking for women.

This adds strong indirect evidence that alcohol itself reduces heart disease risk. There is also some evidence that genes influence how alcohol affects the cardiovascular system. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase helps metabolize alcohol. One variant of this enzyme, called alcohol dehydrogenase type 1C (ADH1C), comes in two “flavors.” One quickly breaks down alcohol, the other does it more slowly. Moderate drinkers who have two copies of the gene for the slow-acting enzyme are at much lower risk for cardiovascular disease than moderate drinkers who have two genes for the fast-acting enzyme. [44] Those with one gene for the slow-acting enzyme and one for the faster enzyme fall in between.

It is the alcohol that causes harm, not the beverage

what is moderate drinking

Alcohol can have several positive effects on the body’s heart and blood vessels — the cardiovascular system. Alcohol thins your blood, too, making it less likely that your arteries will form a blood clot. Moderate alcohol intake can lower inflammation throughout your body, as well, and that can also have a positive effect on your cardiovascular system. Two alcoholic drinks per day is considered moderate drinking for men. One drink per day is considered moderate drinking for women.

what is moderate drinking

Science around moderate alcohol use

Loose use of the terms “moderate” and “a drink” has fueled some of the ongoing debate about alcohol’s impact on health. Throughout the 10,000 or so years that humans have been drinking fermented beverages, they’ve also been arguing about their merits and demerits. The debate still simmers today, with a lively back-and-forth over whether alcohol withdrawal timeline alcohol is good for you or bad for you. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help.

When you stop drinking alcohol entirely, even as a moderate drinker, you allow your body and mind a chance to heal. However, it may take some time before you feel like yourself again. Neither Schaffner nor Rahman could explain why light drinkers have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than nondrinkers. But they agreed that alcohol is a major public health challenge, not only in the U.S. but around the world.

Keep this list in your wallet, on your fridge, or in an app on your phone. Stay away from bars and other places that may make you want to drink. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss…from exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Things like trouble concentration, slow reflexes and sensitivity to bright lights and loud sounds are standard signs of a hangover, and evidence of alcohol’s effects on your brain. If you think you or a loved one may have developed a dependence or AUD from binge drinking, consider reaching out to a physician or therapist for help. So whether you raise a glass to Schaffner’s takeaway from the review paper (“don’t drink too much”) or lower it in response to Rahman’s (“don’t drink”), it’s best to imbibe responsibly, if at all. Jan. 17, 2024 – When it comes to alcohol consumption, moderation is everything. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions.

There seems to be a tipping point after which moderate drinking can no longer be controlled and drives the drinker right into alcoholism. With long-term drinking even on moderate terms, the brain physiology is affected by creating long-term alcohol dependence. Problem drinkers, on the other hand, have their brains and bodies craving for alcohol and just a sip of alcoholic beverage after abstinence is enough to send them into another cycle of alcohol abuse and health problems.