The World Health Organization has raised the bar for a safe dose of alcohol.According to recently published WHO recommendations, a healthy man can drink up to 10 liters of pure alcohol per year without harming his health.Women can get a third less.This WHO generosity is equivalent to about a bottle of vodka a week.But our narcologists are more conservative;they still adhere to the usual limits: a maximum of 8 liters of "pure" alcohol per year and complete sobriety 3-4 days a week.At the same time, more and more doctors insist on changing the traditional principles of helping people with alcohol problems, which have been developed since Soviet times.
"More than 8 liters of pure alcohol per person per year is the extinction of a nation," says the head of the psychotherapy department of the National Narcology Science Center, professor. — We currently consume 15.1 liters.We are at the negative peak.Increased alcohol consumption does not happen out of nowhere - it is an attempt to relieve stress, escape from reality to some extent and solve some psychological problems.This partially works: after drinking, the withdrawn person is freed, his mood improves, and his problems recede into the background.But still, it's a psychological trap and a pseudo-solution to problems.One pays too high a price for this.It pays with the pathology of the liver, heart, and brain.Moreover, when the real symptoms of the disease appear, the person is usually already deeply addicted to alcohol."
Expert advice: how much can you drink with minimal health risk?
14-28 drinks per week for men and 7-14 drinks per week for women are considered a safe amount of alcohol.Moreover, this norm is conditional: some people, for example, people with unfavorable heredity, are at risk of health deterioration if they consume very small amounts of alcohol.
How to drink correctly?
They often say: abroad they eat with drinks, but here they drink with snacks.The main principle: the less, the better.And, of course, the drinks must be of good quality.It is better to prefer dry - not fortified or dessert - wines.Vodka, cognac and other strong drinks, if they get into the stomach, can cause a condition close to burns on the mucous membrane, so it is better to dilute highly potent drinks.If we stretch out a diluted drink (can be wine) for the whole evening, the total dose of pure alcohol will be small and the damage to health will be minimized.Since the oxidation of alcohol in the body requires increased vitamin consumption, it is advisable to take a multivitamin, and the table should include greens, vegetables and fruits.
How healthy is dry red wine?
There is no conclusive evidence yet for the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, including dry wines.But many experts believe that the dose of pure alcohol, not the type of drink, is of primary importance in its ability to relieve stress.Therefore, it is better to drink less, but better.
What amount of alcohol is considered safe?
According to the same WHO recommendations, men should consume no more than 40 g of pure alcohol per day (about 2 bottles of beer, 100 ml of vodka or 3 glasses of dry wine).And for women - 30 g of pure alcohol (1.5 bottles of beer or 80 g of vodka, 2 glasses of dry wine).And this is provided that the person does not drink a single drop of alcohol 2 days a week.
When does addiction begin?
Few dare to admit their alcohol addiction.Most people consider themselves to be light drinkers, but one person can drink a bottle of beer a day or every day, while another rarely drinks a lot.Which of them has a problem with alcohol?WHO experts distinguish four forms of alcohol consumption.
- Safe form.This is when a person drinks no more than 210 ml (men) or 135 ml (women) of pure alcohol per week.At the same time, the daily amount of alcohol should not exceed safe doses: 40 ml (for men) and 30 ml of ethyl alcohol (for women).
- A dangerous form.This is when a person exceeds safe doses and fails to adhere to a sobriety regimen.
- Doctors warn that with such an attitude to alcoholic beverages, a person will become addicted to alcohol in the future, and as a "bonus" he will get one of the diseases associated with excessive consumption of strong drinks (cirrhosis of the liver, stomach ulcers, anemia, heart failure, etc.).
- Consumption with harmful consequences.In this case, the person drinks a lot (continuous alcohol consumption for more than 2 days) and feels an irresistible desire to have a hangover.
- But the most characteristic symptom of this form is the loss of control over the amount of drinking.In other words, people lose their sense of proportion, so they get drunk more and more often.
- The third form of consumption of alcoholic beverages is not yet considered an addiction, but at the same time, the drinker's brain and internal organs are also significantly worn out.
- Alcoholism.This form of alcohol consumption is characterized by a person's permanent refusal to give up alcohol, even in the name of poor health.
In this stage, the form of drunkenness also changes, for example, before the person got drunk, became cheerful and fell asleep, but now he shows an aggressive form of behavior.At the same time, the amount of alcohol consumed in one day increases several times.
How much alcohol can a person drink per day?
Unlike humansthey relate to alcohol.Some people cannot live a day without drinking at least one glass of vodka.Some people drink several times a month and only on special occasions.There are also individuals who react completely indifferently to alcoholic beverages.Is there a safe dose of alcohol?Some doctors assure their patients that they can drink no more than one portion of alcohol per week, while others believe that drinking more than 60 ml of vodka and 150 ml of wine per month already indicates drunkenness.Scientists have even developed many different formulas to determine the safe dose of alcohol for the human body.But most narcologists agree that each person has his own, purely personal drinking norm, which directly depends on his individual characteristics.The last assumption can be called the most probable, because some people can get drunk from a glass of wine, while others are unaffected by a bottle of vodka.Alcohol consumption is the most dangerous for the weaker sex.A woman gets involved in drinking very quickly, and even a small amount of alcoholic beverages causes her addiction.If you drink regularly, a woman is at risk of becoming an alcoholic within 2 years.Men are more tolerant of alcoholic beverages and do not get drunk as quickly - after 10 years.
Doctors have conducted a number of studies, as a result of which they came to the conclusion: in order to avoid falling asleep, men of average body can drink no more than 250 ml of wine, 500 ml of beer and no more than 50 ml of vodka (or other drinks with a temperature of no more than 40 degrees) per day.For women, the permissible daily dose of alcohol is smaller: wine - no more than 150 ml, beer - no more than 330 ml and vodka - 30 ml.It should be understood that we are only talking about any of the listed alcoholic beverages, and not all of them at the same time.Scientists believe that these parts should not have a negative effect on human health.If you drink alcohol above the safe limit, strong drinks will gradually and continuously make you a true alcoholic.Gender is not the only factor that is taken into account when calculating the safe level of alcohol.Climatic conditions also play an important role in the development of alcoholism.It has been observed that people in cold regions get drunk much faster than in areas with a comfortable temperature regime.Another factor that must be taken into account when determining the permissible dose of alcohol is the age of the drinker.The younger the body, the faster it gets drunk, which means it is more sensitive to the negative effects of ethyl alcohol.A young man who drinks low-alcohol beer gets drunk faster than a middle-aged man who drinks hard liquor.
It should be understood that alcohol, even in the smallest amount, is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, children, teenagers, drivers and those taking medications.According to the WHO, drinking about 8 liters of alcoholic beverages in a year causes irreparable health damage.At the same time, domestic narcologists note that an average citizen can drink 15-18 liters of alcohol per year, and this is already a threatening sign of intoxication.Why do people in some countries drink more than the legal limit?For most of our compatriots, the terms "drinking" and "holiday" are synonymous.No celebration is complete without the tables sagging under the weight of vodka, cognac and wine bottles.It is a sign of indecency to invite guests to your home and not place a bottle of alcohol in front of them.If under normal circumstances a person is able to control the amount of drink consumed, then during a feast he consciously allows himself to relax and have more fun.
It is not for nothing that after the holidays people are faced with all kinds of chronic diseases.In order to comply with the norm, a person must clearly define for himself how much he can drink and not exceed the daily limit.This is the only way to create a drinking culture.But not only the holidays contribute to the development of alcoholism.Some people who fall ill with viral infections prefer to treat them with strong drinks rather than drugs.Alcohol does help kill pathogenic microbes, but along with them, it slowly and surely destroys the entire body.And those who combine the consumption of strong drinks with medicines during the treatment are doing themselves a disservice: even the smallest doses of vodka, cognac or other drinks, consumed with pills or mixtures, deal a devastating blow to the liver, pancreas and cardiovascular system.In addition, excessive alcohol consumption contributes to the development of alcohol dependence.In the presence of serious diseases, alcohol poisoning occurs much faster.A very low body temperature (3-4 degrees below normal) and difficult breathing indicate a dangerous condition.Usually within 12 to 36 hours after consuming a large amount of alcohol, a person's heart stops and death occurs.
How much can you drink in other countries?In foreign countries, the safe amount of alcohol for men is 30 ml of pure ethyl alcohol per day (this amount is contained in about 300 ml of wine, 600 ml of beer or 40 ml of vodka).In the case of foreign women, the permissible alcohol limit is exactly 2 times lower than for representatives of the stronger sex.Doctors are sure that if you drink alcoholic beverages in the indicated doses, they will help prevent cardiovascular diseases.In Ködös albus, the permitted dose of alcohol is 32 ml of pure ethanol for men and 24 ml for women.In another country, an adult man, without fear of harming his health and drinking himself to death, can with a clear conscience allow himself to drink alcoholic beverages containing no more than 20 ml of alcohol.For women, this norm is reduced to 10 ml per day.In countries with a dark-skinned population, the permissible alcohol dose is 24 ml of pure ethanol per day for the male population.
According to some opinions, the daily amount of alcohol recommended by doctors is not only safe, but also very useful, and moderate drinkers live longer than abstainers.But proponents of the hypothesis caution that only dry red wine may benefit;stronger drinks are not good for the body.If they allow themselves to drink, they always know their limit and know how to stop in time.These happy people are not afraid of alcoholism.Well, for those who do not know how to control themselves, the only way to avoid becoming addicted to alcoholic beverages is to not listen to tales of safe doses of alcohol and not drink at all.
The Ministry of Health warns: how much alcohol can you drink?
Experts from the Ministry of Health have calculated alcohol consumption standards for men and women, which can be used for labeling these products.The State Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health has calculated the safe norms of alcohol consumption, the newspaper article states.The standards define the amount of drinking that corresponds to low, medium and high damage to health.According to the calculations of the State Scientific Research Center for Medical Prevention, if a man drinks 1.5 liters of 4.5-degree beer three days a week, the risk will be low.The same dose increases the risk to moderate for five days, and consuming this much fizzy drink per day equates to a high risk.Men can drink a 50 ml glass of vodka twice a day with low health risk;it is better for women to drink one in compliance with safety regulations.If this norm is exceeded, the risk becomes moderate.According to the recommendation of the State Research Center for Pregnancy and Pregnancy, a woman can drink two glasses (100 ml each) of 13-degree dry wine per day.Or a 150 ml glass of champagne.These doses are low risk even if consumed throughout the week.
Acceptable and unacceptable levels of alcohol consumption cannot be identified - the paper quotes the director of the National Narcology Health Institute."Such recommendations or calculations of health risks can be applied to every person, taking into account body weight, the state of body systems, the enzyme apparatus that breaks down alcohol, these are discussed in WHO documents," notes the expert.The head of the National Alcohol Policy Development Center said that it is quite difficult for people to control their drinking to some extent and stop at the right time based on the recommendations.They don't shy away from consequences."If a person feels good, why would he stop suddenly, so it is worth saying that starting to drink alcohol is already a risk," said the specialist.