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. During pregnancy, drinking may cause the unborn baby to have brain damage and other problems. Heavy drinking also may result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Coma and death can occur if alcohol is consumed rapidly and in large amounts. If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost help for alcohol misuse. Find a health center near you and ask about alcohol misuse screening and counseling.
“The fundamental issue is who is in the comparison group,” says psychiatrist Sarah Hartz of Washington University in St. Louis. In 2018, when Hartz and her colleagues compared thousands of moderate and very light drinkers (one or two drinks per week), the advantages of moderate consumption basically disappeared. By 2022 the World Heart Federation stated that alcohol did not protect people. What is the difference between moderate and heavy drinking? The difference between moderate and heavy drinking is in the number of drinks consumed per week. For men, heavy drinking is defined as 15 or more drinks per week.
I have seen the terrible toll of alcohol use disorder and know the risks. I judged my drinking “moderate” and relatively benign. The bottom line is that alcohol is potentially addictive, can cause intoxication, and contributes to health problems and preventable deaths.
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. There’s no need for guesswork when defining moderate drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created public health guidelines for U.S. adults. That’s why there are guidelines in place for moderate drinking. If you’re looking to cut back on the alcohol, are sober curious, or just want to see your options out there in the world of moderate drinking, we have answers. Too much alcohol consumption can lead to a variety of health problems, and the risks to your health and safety increase along with the amount you drink.
How do I know if it’s okay to drink?
Drinking is a problem if it causes trouble in your relationships, in school, in social activities, or in how you think and feel. If you are concerned that either you or someone in your family might have a drinking problem, consult your personal health care provider. The legal limit for drinking is the alcohol level above which a person is subject to legal penalties (e.g., arrest or loss of a driver’s license). Gallstones and type 2 diabetes are also less likely to occur in moderate drinkers than in individuals who drink no alcohol at all. A drink before a meal may improve digestion, and occasional drinks can be a social tonic that contributes to overall well-being.
If you already drink at low levels and continue to drink, risks for these issues appear to be low. For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week. Decide how many days a week you’ll drink and how much you’ll drink on those days. For men, try not to have more than 2 drinks a day.
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. NIAAA research indicates that only about 2 percent of people who drink within these limits have alcohol use disorder. When it comes to alcohol, if you don’t drink, don’t start for health reasons. However, drivers younger than 21 are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle with any level of alcohol in their system.
For women, try not to have more than 1 drink a day. It’s also a good idea to have some days when you don’t drink at all. Different drinks have different amounts of calories, too. These calories add up — and getting more calories than you need can make it harder to stay at a healthy weight. For example, a 12-ounce bottle of beer has about 150 calories. This is all keeping in mind that moderate alcohol consumption and moderation management programs aren’t appropriate for those groups we already listed above.
Do all excessive drinkers have an alcohol use disorder?
The legal BAC limit is 0.08% in most states, but it’s wise to be aware of state-by-state regulations. Understanding state-by-state regulations around BAC is essential, both for legal reasons and to know when you’ve had too much to drink. 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. I was willing, but I wanted to understand what, exactly, I was risking with each sip of sauvignon blanc.
- That means even moderate amounts of alcohol could be harmful to your overall physical and mental health.
- Gallstones and type 2 diabetes are also less likely to occur in moderate drinkers than in individuals who drink no alcohol at all.
- Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches.
This information on drinking in moderation was adapted from materials from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Planning ahead can help you manage situations when you might be tempted to drink too much. Think ahead about how to say “no” if someone offers you a drink. Keeping track of each drink may help you drink less overall.
Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. The Guidelines also note that not drinking alcohol also is the safest option for women who are lactating. Women considering consuming alcohol during lactation should talk to their healthcare provider.4 Learn more about breastfeeding trauma symptoms of adult children of alcoholics and alcohol use. If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels.
Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure. Repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases in blood pressure. These risks seem to cancel out evidence of alcohol’s cardiovascular benefits, which was weakened anyway when researchers did more nuanced studies. The adderall heart-protective theory was based on the finding that moderate drinkers had better cardiovascular health than both nondrinkers (by a little bit) and heavy drinkers (by a lot). But those studies lumped all nondrinkers together, including those who had quit because of substance use issues or illness.
The CDC also defines binge drinking, which can lead to an array of health issues. A man who has 5 or more drinks over the course of 2 hours or less has been binge drinking. For women, the threshold is 4 or more drinks in that same period. In the United States, people younger than age 21 are not legally able to drink alcohol.
It can be difficult adopting habits to moderate your drinking. No matter your reason for looking at your drinking habits, you may find meth addiction: symptoms getting help detox treatment and more 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.
Drinking moderately if you’re otherwise healthy may be a risk you’re willing to take. But heavy drinking carries a much higher risk even for those without other health concerns. Be sure to ask your healthcare professional about what’s right for your health and safety. The definition of heavy drinking is based on a person’s sex. For women, more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks a week is heavy drinking.