How much alcohol can you drink without harm to health. Ministry of Health recommended safe drinking norms Drinking alcohol once a week

Every person who drinks alcohol every day inevitably becomes an alcoholic. How quickly he gets drunk depends on many factors: gender, age, weight, health status and the presence of concomitant diseases. Unfortunately, in almost all chronic alcoholics, the normal functioning of organs and systems is disturbed, which often leads to death.

Alcoholics die either from an overdose of alcohol, or from severe damage to the heart, liver, brain, kidneys and other vital organs. Unfortunately, the cause of death is often suicide committed while intoxicated. This article will tell not only about the dangers of alcohol, but also about how long alcoholics live, what they usually get sick with and what diseases most often die from.

Fact! According to statistics, average duration The life of an alcoholic is 48-55 years. Many drunkards die at a younger age from an overdose of alcohol.

Everyone knows that regular drinking leads to the formation of physical dependence on alcohol. Men and women who are accustomed to drinking even a small amount of beer, wine or vodka every day can no longer refuse it on their own. As a rule, over time they begin to drink more and more. It is useless to force such people to give up alcohol - they can be cured only by drug or psychotherapeutic coding.

Ethyl alcohol is a toxic substance that is harmful to the body, in fact, is a poison. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, it is rapidly absorbed by the mucosa. oral cavity, esophagus, stomach and intestines. From there, alcohol enters the bloodstream and is carried with it throughout the body. However, it not only causes a feeling of euphoria, but also causes serious harm to health.

Prolonged alcohol intoxication leads to the death of a large number of nerve cells, hepatocytes, nephrocytes, causes agglutination of red blood cells. All this entails hypoxia and necrosis (destruction) of the tissues of various organs, leading to disruption of their normal functioning. An alcoholic develops serious illnesses that can ultimately shorten his life significantly.

The most notable effects of drinking are:

• slowing down of thought processes, deterioration of memory and concentration, decreased ability to work;
• puffy face, the appearance of pastosity or swelling on the face and any other parts of the body;
• deterioration in the appearance of the skin, dry hair, brittle nails, coarsening of the voice in women;
• heavy breathing, shortness of breath and cough may occur;
• a significant decrease in immunity, leading to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases;
• alcoholic degradation of the personality, which consists in narrowing the circle of interests, problems in communicating with loved ones, loss of interest in anything, with the exception of drinking.

It is known that some people can drink for many years, live a full life, while feeling relatively well. This can be explained by good heredity and resistance to action. ethyl alcohol. The liver of these people is able to completely break down and remove alcohol, so they can drink for many years in a row. However, their internal organs are still affected, and their state of health can hardly be called ideal.

Consequences of daily drinking

If a person drinks for a long time, it becomes noticeable even to strangers. However, chronic drunkenness affects not only appearance alcoholic. Along with this, changes occur in almost all internal organs. At first, this may not manifest itself in any way, but after a few years, health deteriorates noticeably. Whether this can be avoided depends on the person himself.

Chronic alcoholics often suffer from mental disorders. They often develop alcoholic psychoses - hallucinosis, paranoia, delirium tremens, alcoholic delusions of jealousy, Korsakov's syndrome. Such people become inadequate even when sober, which is quite dangerous both for themselves and for those around them.

Consequences of long-term daily drinking:

• Damage to the liver with subsequent violation of its detoxification function, necrosis of hepatocytes, development of hepatitis, cirrhosis and fibrosis. The liver becomes unable to purify the blood from ethyl alcohol and harmful metabolic products. As a result, almost all human organs begin to suffer from constant exposure to harmful toxins.
• Mental disorders and neurological disorders. Alcoholics may develop alcoholic encephalopathy, dementia, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, or other neuropsychiatric disorders. This will inevitably happen if a person drinks alcohol every day for a long time.
• Violation of the normal functioning of the digestive system. In alcoholics, there is an increased activity of the salivary glands, which is why they produce an excess amount of saliva. Often there is indigestion, heartburn and other unpleasant sensations. Perhaps the appearance of gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis. Many develop cancer of the stomach, esophagus, or mouth.
• sexual dysfunction. In men who abuse alcohol, libido decreases, sexual desire and confidence in own forces. It should be noted that systematic drunkenness often leads to impotence. As for drinking women, they are often diagnosed with infertility.

Chronic alcoholics always have problems at work, in the family and circle of friends. They are no longer interested in anything except alcohol. This often leads to dismissal, frequent quarrels with loved ones, divorces, loss of contact with friends, abandonment of favorite hobbies and hobbies. The social circle of drunkards narrows sharply. As a rule, they spend all their free time with drinking companions.

The more alcohol a person drinks every day, the faster it degrades. It should be noted that due to physiological characteristics, women drink much faster than men. If the latter can drink a little over the course of many years, then the fair sex will become alcoholics after 2-3 years. And getting rid of alcohol addiction is much more difficult for them than for men.

How long do people live with alcoholism

Many people are interested in how much alcohol shortens life. It is difficult to give an unequivocal answer, because each organism reacts in its own way to the effects of ethyl alcohol. How long drunkards live depends on many factors. Great importance has the quantity and quality of alcohol consumed. People who drink a glass of natural red wine every day can live for many years, while maintaining excellent health. But people who drink cheap vodka, moonshine or alcohol-containing substances that are not intended for internal use are at great risk of dying not only from damage to internal organs, but also from acute intoxication.

According to statistics, an alcoholic lives on average up to 48-55 years. Moreover, drunkards, women and persons who began to abuse alcohol at a young age die much earlier than those who carefully monitor the amount of alcohol they drink. People who are at the last stage of alcohol dependence are most at risk. As a rule, they live no more than 6-7 years and die from serious diseases.

The most common causes of death for alcoholics are:

• cancer, perforated stomach or duodenal ulcer;
• alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis and fibrosis of the liver;
• intestinal obstruction;
• ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes, paralysis;
• myocardiopathy, myocardial infarction, sudden coronary death;
• malignant neoplasms of the breast and female genital organs;
• acute or chronic alcoholic pancreatitis;
• spontaneous death in a dream;
• suicide committed in the state alcohol intoxication.

Drunkards can die at an earlier age. For example, people aged 35-45 often die from ethyl alcohol intoxication. At autopsy, pathologists diagnose acute alcohol poisoning. Drunk youth often get into fights, commit murders or suicides.

Fact! Even a single use of a large amount of alcohol can lead to the death of a person. A lethal dose is 450-500 ml of pure alcohol or one and a half liters of vodka. Very dangerous and pathological intoxication that occurs after drinking a very small amount alcoholic beverages.

Each person has a different attitude to alcoholic beverages. Who needs to at least once a day, but sip alcohol, many relax exclusively on holidays. There are those who are completely indifferent to the attractiveness of alcohol. They don't drink at all.

Is there a safe dose of alcohol per day, because logically, if any product is produced and it is in demand, it should be useful. But what benefit can be in alcohol? By the way, there is a belief, and even many doctors support it, that some alcohol (with its moderate consumption) also benefits a person.

According to many doctors, there is a safe dose of alcohol for a person.

Is there really a safe amount of alcohol for a person? Even experienced doctors cannot accurately answer this question. According to some doctors, 200 ml of wine and 50 ml of vodka is a dose that is quite acceptable per week, while others believe that this is a sign of an incipient problem.

There are various formulas that allow you to calculate the maximum allowable amount of ethanol, the excess of which leads to dependence.

But the vast majority of professional narcologists are inclined to believe that, even using existing schemes, it is difficult to determine an acceptable dose for oneself. The point is the individual nuances of the body, the state of the immune system, the functioning of the liver. A lot of factors affect the level of the permissible dose of alcohol, so it is not worth putting various calculations at the forefront.

When determining a harmless dose for yourself, do not forget that alcohol can harm the body.

You yourself have noticed that some people instantly get drunk even after a glass of light wine, while others, having easily mastered half a bottle of vodka, remain in an adequate state and are able to have pleasant conversations. By the way, the most dangerous thing is to drink the beautiful part of the population. A woman, due to her innate characteristics, is drawn into drunkenness much faster, which rapidly develops into alcohol addiction.

It has been established that if a woman begins to regularly consume alcohol, after 1.5-2 years she develops alcoholism. Whereas more hardy men need 10-15 years.

Safe amount of alcohol per day

Of course, a lot of research has been done on this topic. The permissible norm was determined by scientists from foreign countries and our Russian specialists. According to the results of studies conducted by Russian doctors, the following “safe” indicators were presented to the public:

For men of average build and age (allowable alcohol consumption per day):

• wine - up to 250 ml;
• beer - up to 500 ml;
• vodka (or other alcohol with a strength of up to 40%) - up to 50 ml.

For women:

• wine - up to 150 ml;
• beer - up to 330 ml;
• strong alcoholic - up to 30 ml.

Of course, these figures relate to the use of any one of the listed drinks, and not all at once. According to scientists, these figures indicate how much alcohol can be drunk per day without harm to health. If you constantly exceed this dose, then the person will begin his journey to stop "alcoholism" with all the ensuing sad consequences.

Important Factors

But these indicators revealed in the process of research should not become a sacred dogma. When calculating a safe dose, it takes into account a number of factors that affect the final, final figures. In particular:

Climate. It has been noted that people living in regions with cold climatic conditions drink themselves much faster than residents of southern, warm regions. Possible cause becomes human psychology and the widespread tradition of "drinking to warm up."

Person's age. The younger the body, the faster the person gets drunk. The fact is that a young and still unadapted to alcohol organism perceives ethanol much more sensitively. A certain tolerance to ethyl alcohol is manifested only in the course of time.

It has been established that the degree of intoxication is also affected by the emotional state of a person.

The entire calculated rate of alcohol consumption per year (month, day) is at the level of convention. It largely depends on the characteristics of the climate, the person himself. It is worth understanding and adequately assessing the harm that alcohol causes to the body, even in small doses.

Especially alcohol is dangerous for the elderly, weakened by chronic diseases, adolescents and pregnant women. Let's add here the horrendous statistics regarding persons suffering from alcoholism. Of them:

• 68% die due to cirrhosis of the liver;
• 62% end their lives by suicide;
• 50% die as a result of pancreatitis;
• 72% kill while intoxicated;
• 23% die as a result of problems with the cardiovascular system.

Is alcohol beneficial?

When arguing how much alcohol you can drink without harm to health, it is worth dwelling on the question of whether this is the very health of alcohol. Most doctors answer this question in the affirmative, but at the same time they recommend taking into account the nuances of the characteristics of a person and a particular situation. For example:

1. With a sudden heart attack, the condition can be alleviated by taking 10 g of good cognac or pure vodka.
2. The same dose of alcohol is allowed for renal or hepatic colic that has begun in a person.
3. With a sharp drop in blood pressure, you can correct the situation by taking 30 g of high-quality cognac on your chest.

But, of course, these recommendations should not be taken as an integral part of the treatment and postulates for direct action. Remember that alcohol addiction approaches a person imperceptibly, and alcohol can significantly aggravate poor health.

But, figuring out how many times a month you can drink alcohol, it’s still worth dwelling on the positive aspects of alcoholic beverages. After all, many of them really become useful in some situations.

Romantic sparkling

This alcohol is considered a real festive drink and can decorate any celebration. Fragrant and delicate, weak sparkling has the following effects:

• increases appetite;
• helps to relieve puffiness;
• improves the functioning of taste buds;
• removes excessive irritability;
• stabilizes the state of heart failure.

In case of a cold, you can cook excellent tool. You should add 20 g of sugar to the champagne and boil the drink. Remove from heat after boiling and take warm before going to bed. By morning, all cold symptoms will disappear.

To benefit from champagne or other sparkling wine, you should choose only a high-quality drink.

It is believed that a safe dose of champagne varies between 1.5-2 glasses. Champagne is contraindicated for consumption in case of:

• varicose veins;
• gastritis;
• pancreatitis;
• cholecystitis;
• increased blood pressure;
• vascular diseases.

Invigorating red wine

By the way, an interesting fact is noted. In France, which is considered the leader in the production and consumption of red wine per capita, residents differ low level problems with cardiovascular disease. But their life expectancy is much higher.

Useful properties of red wine

Is this due to the regular consumption of natural red wine? Perhaps, especially considering that this noble drink (made exclusively from good natural raw materials);

• removes insomnia;
• helps in the work of the digestive tract;
• normalizes bile flow;
• increases immune forces;
• gives a person a good tone;
• lowers cholesterol levels;
• stabilizes the level of appetite;
• relieves stress manifestations;
• promotes vasodilation;
• cleanses the human body of toxins;
• works in terms of prevention of oncological processes;
• restores the functioning of the endocrine system;
• replenishes the body's reserves of amino acids and vitamins.

Do you remember the world famous mulled wine? It is prepared from natural red wine, honey, various spices and spices. It is a great helper for hypothermia and colds.

The maximum permissible safe dose of red wine for an adult is 50-100 g per day.

• depression;
• pancreatitis;
• bronchial asthma;
• diseases of the heart and liver;
• there are stones in the kidneys and gallbladder;
• with a tendency to allergic manifestations;
• if a person constantly suffers from headaches.

Fine white wine

In the old days, people used this gentle, soft drink as a light and pleasant thirst-quenching product. White wine, which has a less dense structure than red, was best suited for such purposes. Speaking about the benefits of white wine, you should know that this applies only to a good product, transparent and having a color from light yellow to deep amber.

In order not to make a mistake in choosing a quality white wine, pay attention to its color.

Only moderate consumption of quality white wine can enlist its support. And this drink has a lot of benefits:

• improvement and stabilization of the digestive tract;
• destruction of pathogenic microflora in the body;
• slowing down the aging process of internal organs;
• normalization of the cardiovascular system.

This drink consists of almost 80-85% of berries, fruits and purified, high-quality water. Due to the huge content of antioxidants and organic acids, white wine stabilizes the work internal systems and helps to absorb protein and iron, which are part of the food.

It is believed that the acceptable, safe rate of consumption of white wine per day is within 100-200 g.

Not all people are allowed to enjoy white wine. It is contraindicated in the following cases:

• gout;
• hypertension;
• pancreatitis;
• cholecystitis;
• ischemia of the heart;
• depressive states;
• problems in the work of the pancreas;
• elevated levels of triglycerides in the blood.

noble cognac

Natural, true cognac, made on the basis of white grapes. During the technological process of preparation, the fermented cognac wort is repeatedly driven through the distiller. And only then the future cognac is sent for many years of infusion in oak barrels, where it is saturated with a noble aroma and ripens completely.

For cognac to be beneficial, choose its branded brands

Long-term distillation allows the raw material to be freed from various harmful impurities and poisonous fusel oils. Only taking into account this high-quality drink, we can talk about its benefits. And she's next. Good brandy:

• removes headache;
• relieves nervous tension;
• relieves bouts of seasickness;
• trains the body's immune system;
• useful in the treatment of diseases of the gums and teeth;
• helps in the treatment of acne (stabilizes metabolic processes).

By the way, the smell of cognac is very good for a person. Its aroma has a calming effect on the human body, helping to fall asleep well and quickly. And for colds, it is advised to add it to ginger or plain black tea and drink it hot.

The maximum daily allowable dose of cognac for an adult is 20-30 g.

But cognac, even high quality, is strictly prohibited for people in the following situations;

• diabetes;
• cholelithiasis;
• existing chronic diseases of any type.

The purest vodka

And natural vodka is indeed considered the purest alcoholic drink. The most important component of this strong alcohol is ethyl alcohol, which is famous for its powerful antiseptic properties. Therefore, first of all, vodka can be useful for the treatment and disinfection of scratches, burns, wounds.

On the basis of vodka make a variety of healing tinctures, such as this "Elixir of Youth"

As for ingestion, remember that it is on its basis that useful homemade tinctures are prepared on spices, herbs, nuts, cones, fruits and various herbs. Vodka helps to cope with:

• headache;
• infectious diseases;
• elevated cholesterol levels;
• problems in the work of digestion.

In field conditions, vodka becomes an indispensable assistant and sometimes the only remedy with an anesthetic effect. In this case, an adult is given 100 ml of vodka inside, which must be drunk without eating. This method effectively helps to reduce unpleasant, painful sensations for a while.

Also, the rare use of this strong alcohol several times lowers the likelihood of developing many dangerous diseases, including oncology. But, subject to its moderate consumption.

A dose of high-quality vodka in the amount of 20-30 g per day is considered safe.

But, considering and studying all beneficial features alcoholic products, do not forget that they are all included in the list of drinks that can very quickly lead a person to alcohol addiction. And vodka is the favorite of this list. And the harm from regular alcohol consumption, even in the maximum permissible doses, many times exceeds their benefits.

There is no doubt that uncontrolled drinking of alcohol entails very serious health consequences. However, the question of how much vodka you can drink so that your health does not suffer is very relevant for many members of the stronger sex (many ladies are also interested in this). So how much vodka or other strong alcohol can a person drink without harm to health?

It should be noted that there is no unequivocal answer to this question, since medical scientists in different countries calculate harmless doses of alcohol in different ways. For example, leading scientists in the United States and Great Britain, as a result of many years of research, came to the conclusion that for men the safe dose of alcohol is 24 g of pure alcohol per day, and the permissible dose for women is no more than 16 g. French scientists are more liberal - they believe that a healthy a man can consume up to 60 g of pure alcohol without harm to health, and for a woman the limit is 38 g.

When the question arises of how much vodka you can drink without harming your health, you need to take into account not only the amount of alcohol taken, but also the time of its use.

As you know, the liver copes best with alcohol between 18:00 and 20:00, so it is better to drink at this time.

So how much vodka can you drink?

A single dose of vodka should not exceed 50 g, then the liver has all the possibilities for self-healing, takes on the alcoholic blow and rids the body of toxins in an hour.

It must be taken into account that vodka (like any alcoholic beverages) should not be consumed often. It is better to take 50 grams of vodka a couple of times a week than to get drunk once a week, increasing the dose to 250 g or more.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that with an acceptable dose of alcohol, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. There are many doctors who say that you can drink vodka once a week, and there are those who say that 60 grams of vodka a day are already signs of alcoholism. There are doctors who are guided by special formulas in this matter, and those who believe that everyone has their own norm. And the opinion of the latter is often difficult to dispute, because it is no secret that one person starts drinking beer and 150 g of vodka a day and quickly becomes an inveterate drunkard, while another drinks 500 g a day all his life and nothing. It should be noted that the majority of doctors who adhere to the latter opinion, because there are people who become an inveterate drunkard in just a couple of weeks, and there are people who remain persistent even after several years of excessive alcohol consumption.

Features of female and male alcoholism

When the question arises of how much alcohol you can drink, it should immediately be noted that female body much less resistant to alcohol than men's, so the fair sex should be careful with alcohol consumption. If we take into account the average data, then in order for a woman to become an alcoholic, it is enough for her to abuse vodka for no more than one and a half to two years, while a man can drink 10 years before becoming an alcoholic.

Nevertheless, if we take into account the studies conducted by Russian doctors, it becomes clear that it is contraindicated for men to drink alcohol more than 50 g per day (meaning vodka and other strong drinks). Doctors testify that if alcohol consumption becomes more than the specified norm, and systematically, this will very soon lead to damage to internal organs and chronic alcoholism is not far off. However, all these data are averaged.

The doses of alcohol consumed are influenced not only by the sex of the person and his build, but also by the temperature of the region (on average) where the person lives. It should be borne in mind that the lower the temperature of the region, the more harmful alcohol consumption for the body. When it comes to the amounts of alcohol allowed, it should be noted right away that age also matters.

The younger the person who drinks alcohol, the more difficult it is for him to endure the consequences of alcohol intoxication. It is also necessary to take into account the chronic diseases of a person, as well as his physical condition. The fact is that any infection can accelerate, especially one that is related to diseases of the kidneys, liver and stomach. For people who are prone to such diseases, it is better to completely refrain from drinking alcohol, otherwise the consequences may be irreversible.

What do doctors think about this?

A large number of people believe that it is better not to drink alcohol, and even more so vodka, but here it is interesting to read the opinion of doctors who claim that people who drink alcohol moderately live much longer than those who completely excluded them from their lives . However, it often leads to the most negative consequences - a person has an increase in breathing, the heart begins to work intermittently. It must be taken into account that people who suffer from alcohol dependence can take such a dose of alcohol that is one and a half to two times more than the dose of a normal person.

If we talk about the doses of alcohol consumed, it is better to distribute people who consume alcohol to one degree or another into several groups.

Groups of people who drink alcohol

The first group of people can be called casual drinkers. They drink vodka or other strong alcohol in small amounts of no more than 250 g at a time and no more than once a month. Such people do not experience an acute need for alcohol, they drink on holidays and at official events because “it’s necessary”. When such people are intoxicated, they do not experience any pleasant sensations, they drink only for the sake of observing a certain ritual. In the morning, in most cases, such people feel very bad, so it’s better for them to strictly limit the consumption of vodka and other alcohol to a minimum, you should not force your body for the sake of observing dubious traditions.

Most of all, questions arise about how much alcohol you can drink, worries people who belong to the so-called controversial group, namely, moderate drinkers. If we take into account the generally accepted Russian canons, then a person who consumes no more than 400 g per month is considered a moderate drinker. Such a group of people differs from the previous one primarily in that they experience true pleasure from libations, when they drink, their mood rises, but they always drink in such a way as to remain within the bounds of decency.

Such people do not just drink after work, but if some kind of feast is planned, then there is no doubt that the people of this particular group will initiate a plentiful feast with the same alcohol. An alcoholic need may arise, but this occurs infrequently, usually all life values ​​\u200b\u200bremain the same.

Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Courtney Love, Britney Spears, Naomi Campbell, Drew Barrymore are far from full list stars who had problems with alcohol. Tobey Maguire has also publicly admitted to being addicted to the green snake, which nearly stopped him from filming the Spider-Man sequel. So what dose of alcohol is considered safe for a person? And where is the line beyond which addiction begins?

Can alcohol be helpful?

Yes, if we are talking about a heart attack, hepatic or renal colic. At a time when there is no one at hand medicines, you can use cognac or vodka - 1 tablespoon of one of these drinks will relieve vasospasm and improve the patient's condition before the ambulance arrives. Small doses of alcohol also help people suffering from hypotension: 1-2 tablespoons of cognac can revive a person with low blood pressure. No one will argue with the beneficial effect of red dry wines on the human body. The fact is that the skin of red grapes and grape seeds contain resveratrol, a natural compound that has a powerful antioxidant effect. Entering the human body with berries or with wine made from them, this substance prevents the development of cardiovascular and oncological diseases, delays age-related changes in the brain and musculoskeletal system. In addition, natural wines improve digestion and prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels. Although the World Health Organization prohibits doctors from recommending any alcoholic beverages to their patients as a medicine. And all because alcohol can be useful only in small doses, but in large quantities it causes addiction and the development of alcoholism.

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What amount 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 2 days a week a person will not take a drop of alcohol.

When does addiction start?

Few dare to admit to alcohol addiction. Most people consider themselves light drinkers, and yet one person can drink a bottle of beer a day, but every day, while another drink rarely, but hard. Which of them has problems with alcohol? The World Health Organization knows the answer to this question too. WHO experts distinguish four forms of alcohol consumption.

Bsafe 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).

dangerousform. This is when a person exceeds safe doses and does not comply with the sobriety regimen. Doctors warn that with such an attitude towards alcohol, a person runs the risk of becoming addicted to alcohol in the future and getting one of the diseases associated with excessive consumption of strong drinks (cirrhosis of the liver, stomach ulcer, anemia, heart failure, etc.) ).

Consumption with harmful consequences. This is when a person drinks heavily (continuous drinking for more than 2 days), feels an irresistible desire to get drunk. But the most characteristic symptom of this form is the loss of control over the amount of alcohol you drink. That is, a person loses a sense of proportion, and therefore more and more often he gets drunk as an insole. The third form of alcohol consumption is not yet considered an addiction, but with it the brain and internal organs of the drinking person are pretty worn out.

Alcoholism. This form of alcohol consumption is characterized by a person's stubborn unwillingness to give up alcohol even in the name of shaky health. At this stage, the form of intoxication also changes, for example, earlier man drunk, became cheerful and fell asleep, and now he has an aggressive form of behavior. At the same time, the dose of alcohol drunk in one day grows several times.

Alcohol addiction test:

Have you ever told yourself that it's time to stop drinking?

Have you ever been criticized by others for drinking frequently?

Do you feel guilty about your weakness for alcohol?

Would you like to have a hangover?

If you answered yes to 2-3 questions, the probability of alcohol addiction is 90%.

Irina Chernaya

Thank you for the information provided by the narcologist of the highest category of the clinic "Medikom" Yuri Galich

Alcohol can be both beneficial and dangerous. It all depends on how often a person drinks alcohol, what kind of drinks he drinks and in what quantity. We should not forget about the state of health and the individual characteristics of the body. Alcohol is only useful for medicinal purposes, such as colds and flu. But even in this case, it is necessary to observe the permissible dosages so as not to harm the body.

How much alcohol per day can you drink?

A harmless dose of pure alcohol per year for a person who does not have health problems is 2 liters. There are exact figures regarding the daily intake of alcohol: doctors recommend consuming no more than 20 grams of ethanol per day for men, and no more than 15 grams for women. Given that each type of drink has an unequal percentage of pure alcohol content, the safe amount of alcohol per day will be different for different alcoholic beverages:

• Wine - 1 glass (200 ml) for men, half a glass (100 ml) for women. Due to the content of antioxidants in the drink, this dose does not harm health, but helps to strengthen the immune system, improve blood circulation and slow down the aging process.
• Beer - 2 glasses (500 ml) for the stronger sex, 1 glass (250 ml) for women. In moderation, beer is useful for people over 40 years of age in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and osteoporosis. In order for the liver of a healthy person to process a glass of foamy drink, it takes about an hour. Therefore, the intake of 250 ml of beer must be stretched for 30-40 minutes.
• Champagne - 2 glasses (300 ml) for men, 1 glass (150 ml) for women. This drink normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract and improves digestion.
• Vodka, cognac and whiskey - 2 glasses (100 grams) for the stronger sex, 1 glass (50 grams) for women. Such a volume of alcohol is harmless to the liver, because it will easily remove ethanol from the body.

There are no harmless doses of alcohol for pregnant and breastfeeding women - strong drinks are strictly prohibited for them. Care should be taken to consume alcohol for hypertensive patients and people suffering from chronic diseases, diseases of the heart and stomach. They need to coordinate the intake of strong drinks with the supervising doctor.

If you drink a safe amount of alcohol per day, it will not cause significant harm. Ethanol in small portions promotes vasodilation and blood thinning, as a result of which a person improves blood circulation and normalizes blood pressure. But if you drink an acceptable dose of alcohol every day, then serious damage will be done to your health, and all body systems will malfunction.

Regular intake of alcoholic beverages will very quickly lead to the development of alcoholism in a person.

How often can you drink alcohol?

Without harm to health, alcohol can be drunk intermittently for at least 2 days. Thus, you should drink alcohol no more than 2-3 times a week. These are the average data. For people who consider themselves absolutely healthy, doctors recommend not to overdo it, and at least 2 days out of 7 refuse to drink strong drinks. Even beer and wine are allowed no more than 4 times a week. It is strictly forbidden to mix different types of alcohol. It is advisable to drink in the time range from 18:00 to 20:00 hours. It is during this period that the body absorbs alcohol well and removes its decay products. If on one of the days the recommended portion of alcohol was exceeded, then the next time you drink it, you must remember this and reduce the allowable dose.

It should be understood that alcohol Low quality will harm the body, so you need to choose only high-quality drinks. Beer must be taken fresh, draft. It is natural and does not contain chemical additives, unlike the foamy drink sold in glass bottles and cans, which, due to the presence of artificial components in it, has a long shelf life and only harms health. The wine must be made from selected grape varieties. You should always check the expiration date of alcohol. People with high blood pressure red wine is not recommended, it should be replaced with a dry white wine drink.

Not the last role is played by the appetizer. It is advisable to eat before taking alcohol, so as not to irritate the walls of the stomach. Drinking alcohol is a must. You should choose dishes from fish and vegetables. Fruits will help replenish the body with vitamins. Fatty, spicy and smoked snacks should be discarded. You can drink alcohol only with non-carbonated drinks - water, compotes or natural juices. The liquid will save the body from dehydration, which provokes ethanol.

It is important to follow the norms of drinking alcoholic beverages recommended by doctors, otherwise the drinking person cannot avoid health problems. People who drink alcohol for several years are more prone to chronic and mental illness. Almost all alcoholics suffer from infertility. Even if the abuser strong drinks Personality, a child is born, then he has developmental deviations from birth. Such a baby can live a very short time or remain disabled for life.

If a person often drinks alcohol, then the aging process accelerates, the risk of developing oncology increases, and heart problems arise - tachycardia, heart failure, hypertension. Constantly entering the body of ethanol leads to spasms of blood vessels and the formation of blood clots. There is a gradual increase in blood pressure. Taking medications will not help, since alcohol completely blocks their action. Therefore, it is possible to normalize blood pressure only after the complete removal of decay products from the body. Moreover, the interaction of ethanol with medications provoke the strongest adverse reactions which are potentially fatal. If you do not stop in time and do not give up alcohol, then consequences such as stroke and heart attack are inevitable for a person. The best option is to drink alcohol only on holidays and weekends, not forgetting the allowable doses.