A large range of studies suggests that moderate alcohol intake will lower the danger of cardiovascular issues in men and women. Moderate drinking means that one drink per day for women and one to two for men, says Donald Novey, MD, an integrative doctor with the Advocate Medical group in Park Ridge, Ill.

“The difference in amounts is because of how men and women metabolize alcohol,” Dr. Novey explains.

“When you say one drink, the size of that drink matters,” Novey adds. As per the U.S. Department of Agriculture one drink is equal to:

•    12 ounces of beer or
•    5 ounces of wine or
•    1½ ounces of spirits (hard liquor like gin or liquor, 80-proof)

The Dangers of Drinking an excessive amount of Alcohol

Unfortunately, some individuals can’t stop at only one or two drinks. An excessive amount of alcohol may end up in serious health consequences. Serious alcohol intake will damage the liver, inflicting liver disease, a fatal sickness. Excessive drinking can also raise vital sign and injury the guts, and is coupled to several totally different cancers, including mouth, esophagus, breast, prostate, and large intestine cancers. The health risks are even bigger for those that not solely drink, but smoke as well.

The consequences of excessive drinking is fatal not just for the alcoholic, but conjointly for his or her friends, family, and even innocent bystanders. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, over 16,000 individuals die annually in automobile accidents that involve drunk drivers. Other data indicates that one in 3 violent crimes involves the use of alcohol and as several as 3 out of 4 violent incidents against a spouse involve alcohol. “Alcohol is a depressant. It makes people sad over time, not happy,” Novey says. Once depressed, individuals can do some rather unfortunate things to themselves and their fair-haired ones.

Signs of drug abuse

How are you able to tell if you or somebody suffers from a drinking problem? Physicians usually use the CAGE check, that involves four straightforward queries, Novey says:

•    Cutting down. Have you ever felt you must impede on your drinking?
•    Annoyance by criticism. Have individuals aggravated you by criticizing your drinking?
•    Guilty feeling. Have you ever felt guilty concerning drinking alcohol?
•    Eye-openers. Have you ever had a drink very first thing within the morning to steady your nerves or to induce obviate a hangover (an “eye-opener”)?

If the solution to only one among these queries is affirmative, a drinking drawback is probably needed and skilled assistance is required, Novey says.

Other signs of a drinking problem:

•    You notice you can’t stop drinking once you begin.
•    You’re having issues at work or in school.
•    Other individuals notice your drinking and investigate it.
•    You can’t bear in mind what you probably did after you were drinking alcohol.

CHEERS!!