Safe and moderate alcohol consumption

hangover at work

Many people do not drink alcohol during the work week, but allow themselves to relax on the weekends by drinking several bottles of beer or stronger drinks a day. It is worth considering that this approach is dangerous and can cause health problems. This is due to the fact that it is difficult for the body to process a large dose of alcohol received in 2 days.

To avoid serious problems, you need to know what dose of alcohol per day is considered safe.

Is there a safe amount of alcohol?

Doctors have not yet reached a consensus on whether there is a dose of alcohol that is harmless to the body. Some believe that 200 ml of wine or 50 ml of vodka (cognac) 2-3 times a week is a completely acceptable amount of alcohol that will not affect your health in any way. Others consider that even such a small amount increases the risk of various health problems and leads to alcoholism.

There are special tables and formulas that can help you calculate approximately how much alcohol you can drink without harm to your health. But you need to take into account that it is impossible to trust them 100%, as the values obtained are calculated on average. For each person, the safe dose of alcohol is individual. The parameter depends on sex, age, weight and presence of chronic diseases.

safe dose of alcohol

Safe amount of alcohol per day

Many studies and experiments have been carried out to determine daily alcohol intake. Most Westerners and our doctors agreed that, without harm to health, a complex, middle-aged man can drink the following per day:

  • wine – up to 200 ml;
  • beer – up to 500 ml;
  • vodka (cognac, whiskey) – up to 50 ml.

For the fair sex, the following amount of alcohol is considered safe:

  • wine – up to 100 ml;
  • beer – up to 330 ml;
  • strong drinks – up to 30 ml.

It is worth considering that, due to their anatomical features, women fall into drunkenness much faster, so alcohol dependence can develop in them after 1. 5-2 years of daily consumption.

How much can you drink per week without causing harm?

The WHO (World Health Organization) calculated how much alcohol per week can be consumed without harm to health. The safe dose is indicated in portions, with the standard portion being 10 ml of ethanol or 8 g of alcohol.

For men

For men, it is acceptable to drink 3 units of alcohol per day or 21 units per week, subject to two days of being completely sober.

For women

Women are not recommended to drink more than 2 servings of alcohol per day or 14 servings per week. To avoid health problems, women also need to drink it at intervals of at least two days.

Is there a safe standard for a driver?

Many drivers are interested in knowing how much alcohol they can drink and in what quantity before getting behind the wheel. According to established standards, the concentration of pure alcohol in blood serum should not exceed 0. 35 ppm. This standard was introduced due to the fact that alcohol is always present in a person's blood, even if no alcoholic beverages have been consumed previously.

alcohol and driving

Alcohol enters the body because it is found in many foods, including kefir, some fruits and baked goods. Each country has its own permitted levels of alcohol in a driver's blood.

Moderate alcohol consumption

To avoid health problems and minimize the risk of developing alcohol dependence, it is necessary to drink in moderation. It is especially important to know your norm for people who have problems with alcohol, for example, those who, after a few glasses of vodka, lose control over their behavior or become very aggressive.

Even with moderate alcohol consumption, it is recommended to follow the following rules:

  • You absolutely should not mix different types of alcohol;
  • after severe stress, it is not recommended to drink more than 70 ml of strong drinks;
  • when consuming alcohol, you should avoid smoking, as nicotine increases intoxication;
  • It is better to snack on drinks with citrus fruits, as the substances present in their composition accelerate the process of decomposition of alcohol.

As for restrictions, even with moderate alcohol consumption, it is recommended to refrain from taking medications, as alcohol can neutralize or, conversely, enhance their effect.

How to calculate your alcohol limit without a hangover?

To avoid a hangover the day after the party, alcohol consumption should be moderate. If we talk about specific types of alcoholic beverages, then on average per 1 kg of body weight there should be no more than:

  • vodka – 4ml;
  • beer – 30 ml;
  • wine – 12ml;
  • tequila – 3ml;
  • absinthe – 2 ml.

It is worth considering that over the years the dose of alcohol should be gradually reduced, as in adulthood the body no longer deals with ethanol as effectively and the process of its elimination slows down. The more components are present in a drink, the more difficult it is for the body to cope with it. After drinking cognac, whiskey or absinthe, the hangover will be worse than with the same amount of vodka.

On a note! Drinks and snacks consumed along with alcohol have little effect on the severity of a hangover. How you feel the next morning depends solely on the quantity and quality of what you drink.

How much to drink without running the risk of getting drunk?

Even with moderate alcohol consumption, it cannot be guaranteed that a person will not get drunk. Narcologists argue that the risk of developing alcoholism largely depends on genetic predisposition. The psycho-emotional state also plays an important role.

In any case, it is necessary to remember that regular consumption of alcoholic beverages (even in moderate quantities) is addictive and can lead to alcohol dependence.

hangover after alcohol

In international medicine, there is the term "critical dose" - this is the maximum amount of alcohol that a person can drink without running the risk of moving into stage 2 or 3 of alcoholism. Every person who suspects that he is becoming dependent on alcohol should know approximately what stage he is at. This is very important to prevent disease progression and maintain a stable level.

People who drink alcohol moderately and are between stages 1 and 2 of alcoholism can drink no more than 100-300 ml of vodka once a week. This amount of alcohol will not cause serious harm to your health and will prevent the situation from worsening.

On a note! With alcohol abuse, the risk of becoming an alcoholic is especially high in people under 20 years of age.

Formula for determining individual alcohol norms

Health experts have developed a formula that can be used to calculate an individual's alcohol intake. Using this method, you can independently determine how much alcohol you can drink per day without harm to your health.

The basis is 1. 5 g of ethyl alcohol per 1 kg of human weight. If a person weighs 70 kg, the individual dose of ethanol is 105 ml. In any case, you need to understand that such values are calculated on average, as much depends on age, gender and physiological characteristics of the body.

Conclusion

When consumed in moderation, alcohol is not harmful to your health. This is especially true in cases where high-quality drinks made from natural ingredients are consumed.

To minimize the risk of unwanted complications, it is recommended to calculate your individual alcohol intake and not exceed it. And of course, you need to remember that even in minimal quantities, it is not recommended to consume alcohol more than 2 to 3 times a week, as this can provoke the development of alcohol dependence.