Many people do not drink alcohol during the work week, but allow themselves to relax on the weekend by drinking several bottles of beer or spirits 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 within 2 days.
To avoid serious problems, you need to know what daily dose of alcohol is considered safe.
Is there a safe amount of alcohol?
Doctors still haven't reached a consensus on whether there is a dose of alcohol that is harmless to the body. Some consider that 200 ml of wine or 50 ml of vodka (cognac) 2-3 times a week is a perfectly acceptable amount of alcohol that will not affect your health in any way. Others are of the opinion 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 harming your health. But it is necessary to take into account that it is impossible to rely on them 100%, because the obtained values are average. The safe dose of alcohol for each person is individual, and the parameter depends on gender, age, weight and the presence of chronic diseases.
A safe amount of alcohol per day
Many studies and experiments have been conducted to determine the daily intake of alcohol. Most Western and our doctors agreed that without harm to health, a middle-aged and complex man can drink the following daily:
- wine - up to 200 ml;
- beer - up to 500 ml;
- vodka (cognac, whiskey) - up to 50 ml.
For the fairer 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 women, due to their anatomical characteristics, are drawn into drunkenness much faster, so alcohol addiction can develop in them after 1. 5-2 years of daily drinking.
How much can you drink per week without harm?
The WHO (World Health Organization) has calculated how much alcohol can be consumed per week without harming health. The safe dose is indicated in portions, with a 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, with two completely sober days.
For a woman
Women are not recommended to drink more than 2 servings of alcohol per day or 14 servings per week. To avoid health problems, ladies should drink for at least two days.
Is there a safe driver standard?
Many drivers are interested in 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 the 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 alcoholic beverages have not been consumed before.
Alcohol enters the body because it is found in many foods, including kefir, some fruits and pastries. Each state has its own legal blood alcohol levels for drivers.
Moderate alcohol consumption
To avoid health problems and reduce the risk of developing alcohol addiction, you must drink in moderation. It is especially important to know your norm for people who have problems with alcohol, for example, those who lose control of their behavior or become too aggressive after a few glasses of vodka.
Even with moderate alcohol consumption, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:
- You should absolutely not mix different types of alcohol with each other;
- after severe stress, it is not recommended to drink more than 70 ml of strong drinks;
- while drinking alcohol, you should refrain from smoking, because nicotine increases intoxication;
- It is better to snack on a drink with citrus fruits, because the substances present in their composition accelerate the process of breaking down alcohol.
As for restrictions, even with moderate alcohol consumption, it is recommended to refrain from taking medications, because alcohol can neutralize or, conversely, enhance their effect.
How to calculate the alcohol limit without a hangover?
To avoid a hangover the day after the feast, alcohol consumption should be moderate. If we are talking about certain types of alcoholic beverages, then on average, 1 kg of body weight should not contain more than:
- vodka - 4 ml;
- beer – 30 ml;
- wine – 12 ml;
- tequila - 3 ml;
- absinthe - 2 ml.
It is worth considering that with age, the dose of alcohol should be gradually reduced, because in adulthood the body no longer copes with ethanol as effectively, and the process of its elimination slows down. The more components present in the 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 from the same amount of vodka.
Note! Drinks and snacks consumed along with alcohol have little effect on the severity of a hangover. How you feel the next morning depends only on the quantity and quality of what you drink.
How much to drink without the risk of getting drunk?
Even with moderate alcohol consumption, it cannot be guaranteed that a person will not get drunk. Narcologists claim that the risk of developing alcoholism largely depends on genetic predisposition. Psychoemotional state also plays an important role.
In any case, it should be remembered that regular consumption of alcoholic beverages (even in moderate quantities) is addictive and can cause alcohol addiction.
In international medicine, there is an expression "critical dose" - it is the maximum amount of alcohol that a person can drink without the risk of passing into the 2nd or 3rd degree of alcoholism. Any person who suspects that they are becoming dependent on alcohol should know roughly what stage they are in. This is very important for preventing the progression of the disease and maintaining a stable level.
People who drink alcohol moderately and are between the 1st and 2nd stages of alcoholism can drink no more than 100-300 ml of vodka once a week, which will not seriously harm their health and prevent the situation from worsening.
Note! Along with alcohol abuse, the risk of alcoholism is particularly high among people under 20 years of age.
Formula for determining individual alcohol standards
Health experts have developed a formula that can be used to calculate individual alcohol intake. Using this method, you can independently determine how much alcohol you can drink per day without harming your health.
The basis is 1. 5 g of ethyl alcohol per 1 kg of human weight. If a person weighs 70 kg, a single dose of ethanol is 105 ml. In any case, it is necessary to understand that such values are average, because a lot depends on age, gender and physiological characteristics of the body.
Conclusion
When consumed in moderation, alcohol does not harm health. This is especially true in cases where high-quality drinks made from natural ingredients are consumed.
In order to reduce the risk of unwanted complications, it is recommended that you calculate your individual alcohol intake and not exceed it. And of course, it is necessary to remember that even in minimal quantities it is not recommended to consume alcohol more than 2-3 times a week, as this can cause the development of alcohol addiction.