The World Health Organization has raised the bar for a safe dose of alcohol.Now, according to recently published WHO recommendations, a healthy person can drink up to 10 liters of pure alcohol per year without harming his health.Women are allowed a third less.This WHO bounty is equivalent to around one bottle of vodka per 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 3-4 days of complete sobriety per week.At the same time, more and more doctors are insisting on changing the traditional principles of providing help to people with alcohol problems, created 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 at the National Scientific Center for Narcology, professor. — We currently consume 15.1 liters.We are in the negative peak.The increase in alcohol consumption does not happen out of nowhere - it is an attempt to relieve stress, to some extent escape from reality and solve some psychological problems.This partially works: after drinking, a withdrawn person is relieved, his mood improves, and problems fall into the background.But still, this is a psychological trap and a pseudo-solution to problems.Man pays a very high price for this.Pays with pathologies of the liver, heart, brain.Moreover, when real symptoms of the disease appear, the person, as a rule, is already deeply dependent on alcohol.
Expert advice: how much can you drink with minimal health risk?
A safe amount of alcohol is considered to be 14-28 drinks per week for men and 7-14 drinks per week for women.Moreover, this norm is conditional: for some people, for example, with unfavorable heredity, the risk of health deterioration occurs when they drink very small amounts of alcohol.
How to drink properly?
They often say: outside they eat with drinks, but here they drink with snacks.The main principle should be - the less, the better.And, of course, the drinks must be of high quality.It is better to give preference to dry wines - not fortified or dessert.Vodka, cognac and other strong drinks, if they get into the stomach, can cause a condition close to burning the mucous membrane, so it is better to dilute high proof drinks.If we stretch a diluted drink (it can be wine) throughout the evening, then the total dose of pure alcohol will be small and the harm to health will be minimized.Since the oxidation of alcohol in the body requires an increase in the consumption of vitamins, it is advisable to take multivitamins, and the table should include greens, vegetables and fruits.
How healthy is dry red wine?
Truly convincing evidence for the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, including dry wines, has yet to be obtained.But many experts believe that the dose of pure alcohol, and not the type of drink, is of primary importance in the ability to relieve stress.Therefore, it is better to drink less, but better.
What dose of alcohol is considered safe?
According to the recommendations of the same WHO, 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 people dare to admit their addiction to alcohol.Most people consider themselves light drinkers, but one person can drink a bottle of beer a day, but every day, while another rarely drinks, but drinks a lot.Which of them has problems with alcohol?WHO experts distinguish four forms of alcohol consumption.
- Safe form.This is when a person drinks no more than 210 ml (for men) or 135 ml (for women) of pure alcohol per week.At the same time, the amount of alcohol per day should not exceed safe doses: 40 ml (for men) and 30 ml of ethyl alcohol (for women).
- Dangerous form.This happens when a person exceeds safe doses and does not observe the sobriety regimen.
- Doctors warn that with such an attitude towards alcoholic beverages, a person risks becoming addicted to alcohol in the future and receiving as a "bonus" 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.This happens when a person drinks too much (continuous consumption of alcohol for more than 2 days) and feels an irresistible desire to get hungry.
- But the most characteristic symptom of this form is the loss of control over the amount of drinking.That is, a person loses his sense of proportion, and therefore gets drunk more and more often.
- The third form of drinking alcoholic beverages is not yet considered an addiction, but with the user's brain and internal organs are significantly consumed.
- Alcoholism.This form of alcohol consumption is characterized by a person's constant reluctance to give up alcohol, even in the name of poor health.
At this stage, the form of intoxication also changes, for example, before a person was drunk, he became happy and fell asleep, but now he has a form of aggressive behavior.At the same time, the dose of alcohol drunk in a day increases several times.
How much alcohol can a person drink per day?
People have different attitudes towards 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 dose of alcohol during the week, while others are convinced that the amount of alcohol that exceeds 60 ml of vodka and 150 ml of wine per month already indicates intoxication.Scientists have even come up with many different formulas to determine a safe dose of alcohol for the human body.But most narcologists agree that each person has his own purely personal norm to drink, which directly depends on his individual characteristics.The last assumption can be called more reliable, because some people are able to get drunk from a glass of wine, while others are not affected by a bottle of vodka.It is more dangerous for the weaker sex to drink alcohol.A woman very quickly gets involved in drinking, and even small doses of alcoholic beverages become addictive for her.By drinking regularly, a woman risks becoming an alcoholic within 2 years.Men are more tolerant of alcoholic beverages and do not get drunk so quickly - after 10 years.
Doctors have conducted numerous studies, as a result of which they have come to the conclusion: in order not to fall asleep, men of average body can drink up to 250 ml of wine, 500 ml of beer and no more than 50 ml of vodka (or another drink with a strength of up to 40 degrees) per day.For women, the permitted portion of alcohol per day is smaller: wine - no more than 150 ml, beer - up to 330 ml and vodka - 30 ml.It should be understood that we are talking only about any of the alcoholic beverages listed, and not about all of them at once.Scientists believe that these portions cannot have a negative impact on human health.If you drink alcohol above the safe limit, then hard liquor will gradually and steadily turn you into a true alcoholic.Gender is not the only consideration when calculating the safe level of alcohol for a person.Climatic conditions also play an important role in the process of involvement in alcoholism.It has been noticed that in cold regions people 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 consumer.The younger the body, the faster it gets drunk, which means it is more susceptible to the negative effects of alcohol.A young man drinking low-alcohol beer will get drunk faster than a middle-aged man drinking hard liquor.
It should be understood that alcohol, even in the smallest quantities, is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, children, teenagers, drivers and people taking any medication.According to the WHO, drinking about 8 liters of alcoholic beverages during a year causes irreparable damage to human health.At the same time, local narcologists note that an average citizen can drink from 15 to 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 concepts of "drinking" and "holiday" are synonymous.Not a single party takes place without tables hanging from the weight of bottles of vodka, cognac and wine.Inviting guests to your home and not placing a bottle of alcohol in front of them is considered an improper sign.If under normal circumstances a person is able to control the amount he drinks, then during a feast he consciously allows himself to relax and have fun more.
It is not for nothing that after the holidays, people experience all kinds of chronic diseases.To respect the norm, a person must clearly determine how much he can drink and not exceed his limit for the day.This is the only way to develop a drinking culture.But not only holidays contribute to the development of alcoholism.After getting sick with a viral infection, some people prefer to be treated not with drugs, but with strong drinks.Alcohol does help to destroy pathogenic microbes, but along with them it slowly and surely destroys the whole body.And those people who during treatment combine drinking strong drinks with medications do themselves a disservice: even the smallest portions of vodka, cognac or other drinks taken in tablets or mixtures deliver a crushing blow to the liver, pancreas and cardiovascular system.In addition, excessive amounts of alcohol contribute to the development of alcohol dependence.In the presence of serious diseases, alcohol poisoning occurs much faster.A dangerous condition is indicated by very low body temperature (3-4 degrees below normal) and heavy breathing.Usually, within 12-36 hours after a large amount of alcohol enters the body, a person's heart stops and death occurs.
How much can you drink in other countries?In foreign countries, a safe dose of alcohol for men is considered to be 30 ml of pure ethyl alcohol per day (this amount is found in approximately 300 ml of wine, 600 ml of beer or 40 ml of vodka).For foreign women, the permissible limit of alcohol is exactly 2 times less than for representatives of the stronger sex.Doctors are convinced that if you drink alcoholic beverages in the indicated doses, then they will help prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system.In fogged albus, the permissible 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, with a clear conscience can allow himself to drink alcoholic beverages containing no more than 20 ml of alcohol.For women, this rate is reduced to 10 ml per day.In countries with dark-skinned populations, the permitted portion of alcohol is 24 ml of pure ethanol per day for the male population.
There is an opinion that the daily dose 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 provide benefits;stronger drinks will not bring any benefit to the body.Allowing 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 alcohol addiction is to not listen to stories about safe doses of alcohol and not drink at all.
The Ministry of Health warns: how much alcohol can you drink?
Specialists of the Ministry of Health have calculated the standards of alcohol consumption for men and women, which can be used in the labeling of these products.The State Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health has calculated safe standards for 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 beer with a strength of 4.5 degrees three days a week, then the risk will be low.The same dose for five days will increase the risk to medium, and the daily consumption of this amount of fizzy drinks corresponds to a high risk.Men can drink a glass of 50 ml of low health risk vodka twice a day;maintaining safety standards, it is better for women to drink one.If this rate is exceeded, the risk will become average.According to the recommendations of the State Scientific Research Center for Pregnancy and Pregnancy, a woman can drink two glasses (each 100 ml) of dry wine with a strength of 13 degrees per day.Or a glass of champagne 150 ml.These doses mean low risk, even if consumed throughout the week.
It is impossible to identify acceptable and unacceptable levels of alcohol consumption, the newspaper quoted the director of the National Narcological Health Institute as saying."Such recommendations or calculations of health risks can be made for each individual person, taking into account his body weight, the state of body systems, the enzymatic apparatus that breaks down alcohol; these points are discussed in WHO documents," the expert notes.The head of the Center for the Development of National Alcohol Policies said that it is quite difficult for people to control their drinking at certain levels and stop at the right time based on the recommendations.They are not deterred by the consequences."If a person feels good, then why would he stop suddenly, so it is worth saying that starting to drink alcohol is already a risk," said the expert.