May 25th, 2014
- How much alcohol can I drink safely? My recommendation would be no more than 2 drinks for men and no more than 1 drink for women in 24 hours. [1 drink = 1/2 oz or 15 mL ethanol (e.g., 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz 80-proof whiskey)] Any more than this amount and your blood pressure could actually become elevated. If you plan on driving a car, have a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, or taking medications that affect the liver (including over-the-counter medications such as tylenol/acetaminophen), I would not recommend any alcohol intake.
- How many calories are in alcohol? This varies, but most beers have about 180-200 per bottle. To put that into perspective, one can of soda has about 150 calories. The next time you look at a bottle of beer, think of it as a can of soda. Would you be drinking 3 or more cans of soda if you were trying to lose weight? Though alcoholic beverages don’t taste sweet, they contain carbs and sugars. Wine is made from fermented grape juice, which is high in sugars. Alcohol can hurt your diet in other ways. Read more at my blogpost on the subject.
- Can alcohol cause cancer? Certain cancers have been linked to excessive alcohol intake including esophageal cancer, gastric (stomach) cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer. Asians have a higher risk of esophageal cancer, especially those who develop flushing of the skin after imbibing alcoholic beverages. Here is an NBC News story about this phenomena and it’s associated cancer risk. If your skin turn red after drinking even modest amounts of alcohol, you may want to limit your alcohol intake.
- What are the health benefits of alcohol? In small amounts (generally <2 drinks in 24 hours), alcohol can lower systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 2 to 4 mm of mercury. This is a very small drop but shows there is some benefit. However, more does not mean better. Further drinking beyond that will actually cause your blood pressure to increase above your baseline. Anyone who has had a stressful day and unwinds with a glass of wine knows there are some anti-anxiety properties to alcohol. Red wine has been shown to raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol and is a part of the heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet.
- Can alcohol cause other health problems? Alcohol impairs absorption of certain vitamins and can actually cause deficiencies. This includes Vitamin B (B1 and B12), Vitamin A, Folate, Calcium, and Potassium. These are needed by the body for proper nerve functioning and muscle contractions. It is important if you drink any amount of alcohol to make sure you are having a balanced diet rich in these vitamins and minerals. Alternatively, you can take a multivitamin which contains all of these. Dehydration is also something to watch for. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it will cause you to urinate more. Make sure you drink one or more non-alcoholic drink such as water for every glass of wine, beer or liquor. Drinking alcoholic beverages is one of the main causes of car accidents, accidental falls, and violence. Alcohol abuse is associated with a whole set of medical issues. To determine whether you have a problem with alcohol, you can ask yourself the CAGE questions (answering “yes” to two or more questions may indicate that you need to seek a medical professional. (Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking? Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking? Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?)
