How much alcohol can be considered moderate drinking?

It is usual for specialists in health recommend to their patients, if they are alcohol drinkers alcohol consume it in moderation .

This is largely due to the fact that several studies scientists have linked its excessive consumption to a higher risk of developing different diseases and conditions.

An article from Mayo Clinic states that “research suggests a serious conclusion: drinking any amount of alcohol is a health risk “.

And although the risks may be lower among those who consume moderately, these increase in relation to the quantity ingested .

“Alcohol is potentially addictive, can cause intoxication and contributes to both health problems and preventable deaths. If you already drink lightly and continue to do so, the chances of developing these problems seem low. However, there exists “, they warn from the medical center.

In this sense, they assert that, “For example, any alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast or colorectal cancer.” .

In the same way, since MedlinePlus they claim that Excessive and prolonged consumption increases the risk of suffering from: gastric or esophageal bleeding, inflammation and damage to the pancreas, liver damage and malnutrition. .

To the above is added a increased risk of facing different types of cancer .

These are some of the potential consequences of sustained excessive alcohol consumption on the health and well-being of patients.

However, many are unaware What quantities can be considered moderate consumption .

THE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (CDC, for its acronym in English) ensures that moderate drinking consists of two drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women .

As detailed by the Mayo Clinic, here are some specific examples of what a drink would be: 355 milliliters of regular beer, 148 milliliters of wine or 44 milliliters of strong or distilled spirits .

But the quantities considered within the framework of moderate consumption vary depending on what different health organizations consider .

For example, an article from European Commission details which correspond to different countries of said continent.

Furthermore, some guidelines are stricter than others like those of Canada.

The last of Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) define moderate drinking – also called low risk – as a maximum of two drinks per week, regardless of gender .

for years The belief predominated that low or moderate intake could be beneficial. for health.

Even several experts have assured this and maintained that Some studies associated consumption, in certain settings, with aspects such as longevity. .

Tim Stockwell, a researcher at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, said New York Times that these jobs They said that this benefit disappeared after three drinks per day for men and two for women. .

However, according to Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of North Carolina, Many researchers currently believe that these conclusions were based on data analysis that had “all sorts of methodological problems.” .

The latter, in the words of the doctor, helped create “what was in reality an illusion of profits” for health with low or moderate alcohol consumption.

Stockwell said that today There is a risk assessment method that only takes into account deaths from conditions directly related to alcohol. .

Among these are some such as liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, alcohol poisoning and certain types of cancer .

Under the watchful eye of the scientist, who was an advisor for the latest CCLT guidelines, “It is much less biased and confusing to focus only on conditions caused by alcohol” .

Senior scientific advisor to the director of the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Aaron White, told the Times that some guidelines separate men from women because it takes less alcohol to harm the health of the latter compared to the first.

He assured that Part of this increased risk may be due to differences in size which generally tend to occur.

Nevertheless, the director of the Yale Program for Sex Differences in Alcohol Use Disorders, Sherry McKee, told the aforementioned newspaper that If “a woman and a man of the same age and weight drink exactly the same amount of alcohol, the woman will have a higher blood alcohol level than the man.” .

SO, Why is this difference generated?

He stated that it is possible that this is because Alcohol does not penetrate into fatty tissue since women tend to have a higher proportion of fat. than men.

SO, there is less space to distribute it in the body.

At the same time, according to a study available in the New England Journal of Medicine , Women may have more difficulty metabolizing alcohol, causing it to last longer in your body.

Although there is no single, universal consensus on what a moderate amount of alcohol would be, Stockwell emphasized that Most experts agree that if you decide to drink, “less is better.” .

It is good to remember that If you have any doubts about your health, it is always advisable to contact a professional to assess your particular case and the best ways to approach it.