How Much Alcohol Is Too Much Alcohol?
(www.livelywomen.com) — I used to be a 3-drinks-a-week kind of gal, but lately, I’ve been finding myself drinking a glass of wine or two, or a cocktail or two, or a beer or two, every night. I suspect that for most people, that ain’t much. But for me, it’s a lot. And I’m starting to wonder, Am I drinking too much?
What do you think? How much alcohol is too much alcohol? I’m not talking about “when you can’t walk anymore, stop drinking” overconsumption, but rather the overconsumption we may have been conditioned to. Is a drink a day okay? Two? Three? Four? Where do you draw the line?
Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King
(image: SXC.hu)
Tags: womens health blog, women, woman, health, drinking, alcohol, drunk, too much to drink, how much is too much, safe alcohol consumption, average alcohol consumption, lively women, kristen king
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Diet/Nutrition
.gif)
8 opinions for How Much Alcohol Is Too Much Alcohol?
Kelly Turner
Sep 3, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I;ve been wondering the same thing about myself, except the opposite. I NEVER drink during the week- it just doesnt occur to me. A lot of my friends have drinks every night. I dont even order a drink when I go out to dinner.
on the weekends Ill drink, maybe 3-4 beers a night, but only if im out with friends. I wonder if I dont drink as much as the average person? Im interested to hear others’ responses.
http://www.groundedfitness.com
Mark
Sep 3, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Well - it all depends… :)
Kristen King
Sep 4, 2008 at 12:23 am
Hmm, interesting, Kelly. I tend to drink more when I’m out with my husband than when I’m out with anyone else, but lately I’ve been having wine with dinner or a beer with lunch (the perks of working from home) and that was really unusual for me. I tended to be more like you, not really drinking during the week at all, and usually not much on the weekends, either.
Mark, you’re very right — it depends on the person. For some people 1 drink is too much. For others 3 or 4 is the norm. What do YOU think?
kk
Mark
Sep 4, 2008 at 8:46 am
Kristen, for folks like me one is too many and a thousand aren’t enough…
Candy
Sep 4, 2008 at 1:26 pm
As a big fan of red wine, a quality G&T and everything in between, I’m always searching for excuses as to why I should be indulging… and ah ha! Found a relevant article:
“A healthy happy-hour habit is linked to a 25 to 50 percent lower risk of heart disease and diabetes in women, says Eric Rimm, Sc.D., associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.”
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/beneficial-effects-of-alcohol
Bottoms up!
Candy
carrieanddanielle.com
Kristen King
Sep 5, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Mark, great way to describe it. :)
Candy, yes, there are definitely some benefits to moderate alcohol consumption, and that’s a useful article. Thank you! Now, what I’m interested to know is what YOU think is moderate.
CJ
Sep 5, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I think there is a too-fine line between a habit and an addiction when it comes to alcohol, and that’s one of the many reasons why alcoholism is so difficult to diagnose, both in oneself and in others.
Me? I — and this is just my layperson opinion — think a drink a night is too much; not necessarily because of the quantity but because of the consistency. You’re training your brain to get used to alcohol and its effects, and you’re developing a higher tolerance along the way. I have seen one glass of wine a night turn into two glasses of wine a night turn into one bottle of wine a day turn into two bottles of wine a day and more — in the same person, and in a surprisingly short period of time. I think people need to be very, very careful about drinking alcohol, especially if they’re drinking to self-medicate (which is essentially what getting a buzz is, a form of escaping one’s coherent thoughts) and/or have a family history of alcoholism.
kathleen caulkett
Oct 11, 2008 at 10:20 am
I started one to two glasses a of red day about ten years ago, and easily and often skiped days. Now after ritually buying and having it at home I can easily and do consume 6 glasses, and get stupid (according to other). Plus I am gaining weight, Every day I say I won’t do that again I want to be free and clear minded, but there it is and I am becoming dependent on it even though I don’t like what everybody is starting to think or say about me. I am 56 with I wish I would just stop at one like I used to but I just keep pouring until I have a god enough buzz to sleep well. What has happened to me. Eveb with my husbands full disdain for me over it, I find myself trying to conceal pouring it and “acting” more sober than I am “Yikes”
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: