Alcohol Use and Your Health Alcohol Use
Alcohol blocks the absorption of folate and inactivates folate in the blood and tissues. It’s possible that this interaction may be how alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast, colon, and other cancers. The risks of moderate drinking include worsened health outcomes, developing a dependency on alcohol, and a higher risk of injury. That means even moderate amounts of alcohol could be harmful to your overall physical and mental health. There is also some evidence that genes influence how alcohol affects the cardiovascular system. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase helps metabolize alcohol.
Binge Drinking Statistics
Heavy drinking also may result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Heavy drinking also has been linked to intentional injuries, such as suicide, as well as accidental injury and death. According to the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education at the University of Notre Dame, IN, a woman’s body absorbs 30 percent more alcohol than a man’s after drinking the same amount. The C Three Foundation is a good place to begin your research. There are also programs like Ria Health which can provide direct support when you’re ready for it. Ria uses medication, coaching, and digital tools to customize treatment, and delivers it all through a smartphone app.
- Doctors can treat it with talk therapy, medicine, or both.
- The difference between moderate and heavy drinking is in the number of drinks consumed per week.
- Said Rimm, “For longevity and all-cause chronic disease, those who drink 1-2 drinks a day relatively frequently do the best.
Shifting Benefits and Risks
There are plenty of alcohol alternatives out there for you to explore, even in the crisp white wine category. Older adults may also be affected by alcohol differently than younger to middle-aged adults. The legal BAC limit is 0.08% in most states, but it’s wise to be aware of state-by-state regulations. If you look at the science behind how BAC is measured, a BAC of 0.10% would mean 0.10g of ethanol for every 100 milliliters (ml) of blood. Understanding state-by-state regulations around BAC is essential, both for legal reasons and to know when you’ve had too much to drink.
- A drink before a meal may improve digestion, and occasional drinks can be a social tonic that contributes to overall well-being.
- How many drinks you’ve had, certain medical conditions, even what you had to eat before you started drinking can all affect your BAC.
- The less alcohol you drink, the lower your risk for these health effects, including several types of cancer.
- Keep in mind that the size of the drink and the percent of alcohol makes a difference.
Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
The opposite of moderate drinking is either heavy drinking or binge drinking. It can be difficult adopting habits to moderate your drinking. No matter your reason for looking at your drinking habits, you may how to drink moderately find that in the end, you don’t need alcohol at all. If you’re looking for an alcohol-free wine alternative, Surely has got you covered. There’s no need for guesswork when defining moderate drinking.
Does moderate drinking cause cancer?
But here’s what the experts have to say about drinking in moderation — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and your health. If you’re looking to adopt healthier drinking patterns and better monitor your consumption of alcohol, there are ways to limit your alcohol intake in easy, more manageable ways. Determining whether you should drink should be based on several factors, including your own health and lifestyle, your history with alcohol, and your body’s own limitations. The effects of alcohol can also vary from person to person. What is the difference between moderate and heavy drinking?
