How much alcohol is too much?
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- May 4, 2019
- 4 min read
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?
While enjoying an occasional alcoholic beverage is unlikely to harm your health, drinking in excess can have substantial negative effects on your body and well-being.
You may wonder at what point your drinking becomes harmful to your health, and how much is too much.
Alcohol intake recommendations
Standard drink size and alcohol intake recommendations differ between countries.
In the United States, a standard drink contains approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is the amount typically found in 12 ounces (355 ml) of regular beer, 5 ounces (150 ml) of wine, or 1.5 ounces (45 ml) of spirit.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, moderate drinking involves up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.
Problematic drinking can relate to binge drinking, heavy drinking, alcoholism, or alcohol dependence.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines binge drinking as four or more drinks for women or five or more drinks for men on the same occasion, meaning at the same time or within a couple of hours
Heavy drinking or heavy alcohol use is defined as binge drinking on five or more days of the past month.
Alcoholism is when you have impaired control over alcohol, are preoccupied with its use, and continue to use it despite adverse consequences.
The effects of alcohol on your body
Excessive drinking affects your health and almost every part of your body. It can not only damage vital organs but also affect your mood and behavior.
Brain
Consuming too much alcohol can have devastating effects on your central nervous system.
Several factors affect how and to what extent it impacts your brain, including how much and how often you drink, the age you started drinking, your gender, and more.
The initial effects of alcohol on your central nervous system include slurred speech, memory impairment, and compromised hand-eye coordination.
Many studies have associated heavy chronic alcohol use with memory deficits.
Alcohol dependence is a major risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially in women.
Liver
Liver damage is another consequence of chronic binge drinking.
Most of the alcohol you drink is metabolized in your liver. This produces potentially harmful byproducts that can damage your liver cells. As you continue drinking over time, your liver health declines.
Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of alcohol-induced liver damage. This condition can occur over time when too much alcohol leads to a buildup of fat in your body’s liver cells, which can hinder liver function.
As heavy drinking continues, fatty liver disease can eventually advance to liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and even liver failure, which is a life-threatening condition.
Dependency
The effects of alcohol can be mentally and physically addicting.
Feeling a compulsive urge to drink, worrying about where or when you’ll have your next drink, and finding it hard to enjoy yourself without drinking are all common signs of alcohol dependence.
The cause of this dependence can be complex. It may be caused in part by your genes and family history, but your environment can play a large role as well.
Other Effects
There are many other side effects of chronic alcohol use. While health effects vary between individuals, drinking is often linked to depression and anxiety.
Some people may use alcohol as a quick fix to improve their mood and reduce anxiety, but this typically only provides short-term relief. In the long term, it can end up worsening your overall mental state and health.
Drinking may also affect your weight and body composition.
Though research on alcohol’s effects on weight is mixed, both moderate and heavy use has been linked to weight gain.
Gender and genetics affect alcohol metabolism
Your gender and genetics can affect the rate at which your body metabolizes alcohol.
The primary enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism are alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
Women often have lower ADH activity than men. Therefore, women may metabolize alcohol at a slower rate, making them more vulnerable to its effects. That said, some men have low ADH activity as well.
Alcohol’s effects on your body can also vary based on your body composition.
For instance, women’s bodies have more fat and less water than men’s bodies, on average. This may result in higher blood alcohol levels in women, even if they drink the same amount as men.
Certain people should abstain from alcohol
For most people, having an occasional alcoholic beverage typically doesn’t cause harm. However, in certain situations and among specific populations, alcohol should be avoided.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Research has shown that there is no safe level of alcohol use during pregnancy.
Many studies have concluded that alcohol use during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and cognitive and developmental problems.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading cause of preventable birth defects, developmental disabilities, and mental retardation in the United States.
It’s important to note that alcohol can also pass into breast milk if consumed by the nursing mother.
Breastfeeding mothers should wait for the complete elimination of alcohol from breast milk after drinking. This takes about 2–2.5 hours per drink, depending on your body size.
Other Precautions
Additional reasons to abstain from alcohol include:
· Medical conditions. Alcohol may worsen preexisting health conditions like liver disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.
· Medications. Alcohol can interact with over-the-counter herbal and prescription medications, including antidepressants, antibiotics, and opioids.
· Underage drinking. Underage drinking, especially heavy and frequent intake, has been associated with immediate and chronic consequences.
· Current and recovering alcoholics. Recovering from an alcohol use disorder can be difficult. Recovering alcoholics should stop drinking completely and avoid their triggers for abuse.
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