Few people know that ethyl alcohol acts on the human body as a poisonous substance. However, this scientifically proven fact does not increase the number of abstainers. Someone drinks on major holidays, and those for whom Friday night is already a reason to throw a drink, and don't want to hear about the dangers of alcoholic beverages. Defending a healthy lifestyle, doctors have discovered how often you can drink alcohol so that there are no tangible negative consequences for the body.
The article shows the average values. Sex, age, weight, presence of illness can change them in one direction or the other.
Classification of drinkers in domestic narcology
Depending on the frequency and amount of alcohol consumption, experts divide people into five groups.
The word abstinence refers to abstinence from anything, including alcohol. Doctors call abstinent people who drink nothing or who drink a glass of champagne several times a year. Often, abstainers have three reasons for being sober:
- biological - an allergy to alcohol, when even a small dose leads to severe poisoning; in addition, ethyl alcohol can cause unusual intoxication, when depression and depression appear instead of an increase in mood;
- medicinal - when you cannot drink due to the presence of disease;
- behavioral - a person deliberately decided not to drink a single gram of alcohol.
Some abstainers can sometimes drink a little, so as not to look like an outcast in the drinking company. But the drink dose is very small, so they never get drunk. Most of the time, abstainers find some reason for not being served.
In this category, doctors classify people who do not consume more than 250 ml of vodka several times a year, but no more than once a month. Basically, they start drinking in adulthood, observing rituals, but do not feel much pleasure in drinking, on the contrary, the next morning after a banquet they feel the symptoms of a hangover. Therefore, at age forty, they often fall into the category of abstainers and cannot even tolerate the smell of smoke.
This is the most controversial group, as there is no single opinion on moderate and high doses of alcoholic beverages in the medical setting. Russian narcologists classify a person who drinks moderately and drinks an average of 100-150 ml of vodka (maximum 400 ml) 1 to 4 times a month. These people are the organizers of parties and meetings of friends, since drinking alcohol for them means improving their mood.
These people are able to take 200-300 ml of vodka once or twice a week (maximum 500 ml). Typically, your alcoholic experience begins even before adulthood begins, and after a few years, alcohol occupies an important place in the value system of life. The psychological dependence on ethyl alcohol is gradually formed, and this indicates the first stage of alcoholism.
According to doctors, this group includes a person who drinks half a liter or more of vodka several times a week. It is difficult for him to suppress the desire to drink, alcohol becomes a priority in life. To reach a state of intoxication, you need to drink more and more. Constant intake of such doses leads to sleep disorders, various diseases of Organs internal organs and degradation of the personality. As much as doctors don't want to spoil the statistics, but things should be called by their proper names, this is alcoholism in the second stage of addiction.
If you recognize yourself in the last two items on the list, it is not too late to stop and stop the progression of the disease. You can start your journey to a sober lifestyle by taking medicines that are sold for free on the Internet. They reduce the desire for alcohol and, at the same time, help the body get rid of alcoholic toxins.
World alcohol standards
The World Health Organization has defined a standard serving of alcohol called a drink or unit. It is equal to the amount of a drink containing 10 g of pure alcohol. For example, a drink will be a bottle (330 ml) of beer, 150 ml of dry wine or 45 ml of vodka or cognac.
You can find out the amount of ethanol in other drinks based on the information on the label: displacement and strength in percent by volume.
Based on this standard, WHO has developed a recommendation and, minimizing the risk of complications in the form of somatic diseases and alcoholism:
- it is recommended that men do not drink more than 40 g of ethanol per day, which is equivalent to 100 g of vodka;
- the daily portion for women should not exceed 30 g of alcohol, that is, no more than 80 g of vodka or a glass of wine.
When asked how often alcoholic beverages can be drunk, doctors respond that this should not be done every day, even if the dose is just one drink. On the contrary, intervals between alcohol intake are required, not less than two days.
Safe drinking is a relative concept
Guided by the recommendations of reputable experts, it is necessary to take into account a number of individual factors, on the basis of which even a standard dose once a week can have negative consequences for the drinker.
- One should not drink under any pretext for anyone who is allergic to ethanol or alcoholic components (dyes, flavors), as well as for people with chronic diseases of the stomach, liver and other internal organs.
- It is not advisable for people with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism (one parent drank) to start familiarizing themselves with strong drinks.
- There is no concept of "safe drinking" for minors. Even a hundred grams of vodka ingested once can cause tremendous damage to an adolescent's shapeless body.
- Doctors do not recommend drinking to pregnant and lactating women, as it is harmful to the baby.
WHO doctors have come to the conclusion that an average person can drink 8 liters of alcohol without harming their health in a year. In Russia, statistics show that there are up to 18 liters of alcohol per drinker, that is, the standard is exceeded more than twice.
Unmasking myths about the safety of low alcohol drinks should contribute to increasing the culture of alcohol consumption. Often, it is with beer and cocktails that alcoholism begins in women and adolescents who are confident that there is no harm in low-grade drinks.
Why is beer so popular?
Many people like beer to contain less alcohol than vodka.
“I drink beer, it's a low alcohol drink. Therefore, I have no addiction. "
It seems to a person who drinks beer that he is not afraid of beer alcoholism.
The person adds: “After all, there are people who drink vodka - they are alcoholics, not me. I do not have problems ".
However, these beliefs do not justify a person's beer alcoholism.
How often can you drink alcohol
New Year without the clink of champagne glasses. Wedding or birthday without gifts. Find friends without 100 grams of vodka or a bottle of beer. Family celebrations with tea only. "Presentations" that do not include a bottle of expensive wine or brandy of considerable aging. No, this is not the world after the Apocalypse, it is just an existence in which no one will drink alcohol. It is hard to imagine that any of the events that modern people are used to can be held without alcohol. However, no one will say that you can't drink at all - just use strong drinks reasonably and not too often (the norm is definitely not every day). You can drink a small amount of beer, vodka or wine without harming your health and with pleasure.
As much as possible
WHO standards define a standard dose of alcohol ("drink" or "unit") as a portion of alcohol that contains 10 grams of pure ethanol (96%). There are special tables that allow you to calculate the amount of ethanol contained in a given drink based on the data provided by the manufacturer (each bottle is provided with information on the number of milliliters (grams) of alcohol and its percentage content by volume). To simplify these calculations, we can say that, on average, the standard equivalent for a drink-dose:
Objections from beer opponents
With regular and unrestrained use, beer causes great damage to the heart: it becomes flaccid, increases in size, the cardiac cavities expand, the rhythm is disturbed. Beer contains female hormones, so the men who drink it become effeminate over the years, both in appearance and character.
As getting used to beer is a fairly quick process, opponents of this drink warn you, sooner or later you will stop thinking of yourself in the company of friends without a bottle of beer; going into nature without alcohol will no longer make sense to you; gradually, there will be no leisure without alcohol in life.
It looks scary. But after rereading the supporters' arguments, everything again doesn't look so bleak. So, who's right? Is it normal to drink beer or not?
The truth is probably in the middle. If you look closely at the arguments of the beer advocates, you will notice that they refer mainly to a small but regular consumption of beer - no more than one bottle a day. If you start drinking this drink in liters, there is no doubt that there will be a benefit, but small doses of once or twice a week (not every day, in fact) can actually do more good than harm. And drink only quality beer, preferably freshly brewed and unfiltered - then the benefits will be evident.
Consuming alcohol without harming health
According to statistics, in 2020, Russia ranked 6th among the ten countries that drink the most in the world. The average Russian man consumes 15, 1 liters of alcohol a year, and a woman - 7, 8 liters. Vodka is the favorite in our country, but the use of wine has also been growing recently. How many times can you drink, what and in what quantities, so as not to harm your health? What are the standards and rules for alcohol consumption? Read this article.
It is no secret that the ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages has a harmful effect on the human body, like a poison. And although this fact has been scientifically proven, there is no increase in people leading a sober lifestyle in the world. Most don't even want to hear about the dangers of alcoholism, considering every weekend a reason to drink. But despite this, doctors continue to fight tirelessly for a healthy lifestyle, setting ethanol standards for people who will not be able to negatively affect their health and well-being.
Classification of drinkers in domestic narcology
The experts divided people into five groups, depending on the quantity and frequency of alcoholic drinks ingested.
- Abstainers are indifferent or negative people about alcohol. The state of intoxication does not give them pleasure, causes physical discomfort or is unacceptable for moral reasons. Abstainers can be absolute, who categorically do not use alcohol, and relatives, who cannot drink more than 100 ml of low alcohol drinks 2 to 3 times a year. Absolute group abstainers are also divided into three types. The first - biological - is allergic to alcohol or discomfort after taking it. The second - medicinal - strong drinks are prohibited due to the presence of any disease. The third - behavioral - a person deliberately refuses alcohol, simply because he has so decided.
Pay attention! Sometimes abstainers may pay a small dose of alcohol, but this is rare. They never get drunk and often find a reason not to drink.
- Accidental drinkers are people who have no desire to drink, but can afford to drink up to 250 ml of strong drinks at most once a month. The drunken state is weakly expressed and does not give them pleasure. Even after drinking so little, these people show symptoms of a hangover the next morning. Therefore, at a more mature age, they often begin to belong to the abstinence group.
- Moderate drinkers are people who drink up to 400 ml of strong drinks 1 to 4 times a month. Drinkers in this category like to be intoxicated and often start drinks in the company. In the medical field, there is no unequivocal opinion about high and moderate doses of alcohol, which is why this group is considered the most controversial: drinking alcohol for these people is considered a way of improving mood.
- Systematic drinkers - people who consume up to 500 ml of alcohol with a frequency of up to twice a week. They use drunkenness as a way to relax, have fun and find a common language with the environment. This category is characterized by the abusive use of alcohol, as a result of which there is a weakening of self-control and behavioral disorders. These people often experience a hangover after parties and often start drinking from a young age, which, over time, develop a psychological addiction to alcohol, so strong drinks occupy an important place in their lives. . Here begins the first phase of alcoholism.
Symptoms of beer alcoholism
I will show specific symptoms of beer alcoholism
The symptoms of beer alcoholism are:
- A person usually loses control over beer consumption. (drinks more than he should). Loss of control while drinking is the first sign of alcoholism.
- The person himself completely denies the presence of beer alcoholism.
- The addict defends and justifies his consumption in all possible ways. It provides a million reasons for "Why he needs to drink beer".
Read the list below. If you have one or more symptoms, it clearly indicates that you have beer alcoholism.
- Your main reason for drinking beer is to relieve tension and stress.
- In sobriety, when you don't drink beer, you get depressed and depressed. They are often irritated, sometimes even aggressive. All of this is due to the discomfort of disuse.
- You consume beer regularly and constantly (every day or every week).
- You can't just give up beer forever. You can't stop using it.
In addition to being aware of the presence of beer alcoholism, the person needs to study the negative consequences in the form of alcoholism symptoms associated with beer consumption.
Learn to recognize withdrawal symptoms and how to go through the withdrawal period.
Drinking beer in moderation will not work, give up on that idea right away. I wrote about it in the article "Can you drink in moderation? "
Total and unconditional abstinence from drinking beer, like any other alcoholic beverage, is a prerequisite for sobriety.
However, this is not enough.
To get rid of beer alcoholism, you need to learn how to prevent alcohol degradation.
A breakdown occurs when your mood becomes so “negative” that drinking beer seems to be the only option. What to do to not let go and not drink beer, I wrote in the article "What is alcoholic breakdown and how to avoid it? "
Getting knowledge about your addiction is critical to getting rid of beer alcoholism.
Here is a step-by-step plan of what to do to get rid of beer alcoholism.
- Realize your addiction. Understand how you justify your addiction.
- Be aware of problems caused by alcohol use.
- Learn about the negative effects of alcohol and know the signs and symptoms of alcoholism. You will need to read a lot of information, so tune in immediately.
- Understand what the sobriety process is like. Stop drinking is not enough. You cannot stop in one day. And you will have to fight the consequences for more than a month.
- The most important skill you can learn along the way is Learning to avoid stagnation.
- A prerequisite is complete abstinence from drinking beer on the way to sobriety.
If you have any questions about beer alcoholism, you can ask in the comments.
Alcohol consumption per day
Large doses of alcohol are undoubtedly harmful: they are addictive and cause the development of chronic diseases. But if you drink, knowing when to stop, you can avoid dire consequences. The main thing is to correctly calculate the measurement itself.
There is a safe proportion of alcohol
The body, due to the presence of a special alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in the liver, is able to process a certain amount of alcohol without fatal health consequences. Each has its own rate: it depends on the amount of enzyme, metabolic characteristics, sex and age of the person.
Scientists from the World Health Organization were able to calculate the average safe dose. If it does not exceed the specified volume, you can avoid alcohol dependence, as well as keep your liver, pancreas, heart and other organs healthy.
Alcohol per day
It is impossible to calculate your safe rate outside of laboratory conditions.
This indicator depends on many factors. It is better to use average data.
For men
A harmless portion for men is 30 ml of ethyl alcohol. If we translate that number into drinks, we find that you can drink a day:
- 90 ml of vodka, cognac, whiskey, cognac or other drinks, concentration 40 turns;
- 225 ml of fortified or port wine (17-20% alcohol);
- 300 ml of dry wine or champagne (10-13 degrees);
- 750 ml beer (5% alcohol).
At the same time, you don't need to drink more than five times a week, and preferably not every day.
For women
Due to its physical characteristics, the female body is more difficult to tolerate alcohol intoxication than the male. So the numbers for women are a little bit different. The permitted amount is 20 ml of ethanol per day. But some researchers recommend dividing this indicator by two. 10 ml of pure alcohol is 30 grams of vodka or 100 ml of wine. The reason is that women tend to have lower body weight and also produce less alcohol dehydrogenase. This means that alcohol is more harmful.
How much alcohol can I drink a week
Five drinks a week is the maximum dose for a healthy person. But you should not keep them to drink in one day: the liver will not be able to handle the weekly norm each time. The likelihood of a severe hangover is high. If you undergo these experiments regularly, it will lead to alcoholism.
When there is no secure sharing
A safe dose is a rather vague concept.
Therefore, people with acute or chronic illnesses should not drink anything. Any portion of alcohol, even the smallest, can react with drugs or lead to complications.
In addition, there is no harmless dosage for children and adolescents under 18 years of age. At this age, the body is in the formation stage and drinking has a depressive effect on the brain and nervous system, leading to degradation.
Pregnant and lactating women are another category of people for whom alcohol is extremely dangerous. If the expectant mother consumes alcohol during the prenatal period or while breastfeeding, all harmful substances enter the body for the child. This leads to serious mental disorders, developmental delay, congenital diseases.
Safe standard for the driver
According to the latest changes, the permissible percentage of alcohol behind the wheel is 0. 35 ppm, which corresponds to 0. 35 grams of alcohol per liter of blood. For an average man weighing 70-80 kg to reflect this indicator, he must drink 25-30 grams of pure alcohol. This amounts to a shot of vodka, a glass of wine or two small mugs of beer.
But before driving, you shouldn't even experiment with that amount: the body can give an unpredictable reaction or the algometer will miss. Then the driver will face a huge fine or license deprivation - too high a price for the dubious pleasure of drinking.
Weathering times need to be calculated to ensure that sufficient time has passed after use and that it is safe to drive.
This can be done using an online spreadsheet or calculator, or you can use a household breathalyzer.
Measure
The very rule that must be observed relentlessly when drinking alcoholic beverages is different for each person. You can recognize it only once after drinking. Or sometimes the body itself feels when there is enough. In that case, don't give in to persuading friends to drink a few more glasses. Otherwise, drinking a lot at night, the next day you can say goodbye to a vigorous morning, and you will also have to drink at least 3 liters of water and eat 4 tablets of anesthetic. Several of these parties in a row with a strong hangover in the morning will bear fruit in a few months. Not only can morning problems begin, but also health problems. Ethanol poisons almost every system in the body, from the balance of iodine to the liver or heart. It also leads to addiction and, as a result, the well-known disease of alcoholism occurs.