A Few Words about Alcohol
I want to talk about mindfulness around alcohol consumption. There is debate about whether there is any reason to recommend alcohol from a health standpoint. The notion that red wine is heart healthy comes from the lower level of heart disease seen in the French than expected given their levels of smoking and fat intake. It has not been proven that this is due to red wine. Studies on mortality have been mixed. Many do seem to indicate that folks with low levels of alcohol use have a lower mortality than heavy drinkers or abstainers. However, many experts believe that no level of alcohol is totally safe. For many people, I would recommend not drinking at all.
Examples of contraindications to alcohol use include pregnancy, personal or strong family history of alcohol use disorder, or alcohol-associated liver or pancreatic disease. Alcohol use needs to be limited in patients with other conditions, including active gastrointestinal issues like ulcers or acid reflux. Heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation can be worsened with alcohol, and many cancers, including breast and head and neck cancers, are increased with even mild alcohol use.
If you are going to drink alcohol, it is important to know what constitutes “a drink” and what levels are considered more at risk. Interestingly, the definition of a standard drink differs between countries. I recommend that if you are pouring your drinks, you measure your standard pour once so you know exactly how many ounces it is. Here in the U.S. a standard drink is the following:
Beer (5%) – 12 ounces
Wine (12%) – 5 ounces. A standard bottle of wine contains 5 servings. Hard liquor (80 proof) – 1.5 ounces.
Levels of drinking are defined as follows:
Moderate drinking or (relatively) low risk for alcohol problems:
Females: ≤1 drink per day (or ≤3 drinks on any single day) and <7 drinks per week
Males: ≤2 drinks per day (or ≤4 drinks on any single day) and <14 drinks per week People age ≥65: ≤1 drink on any single day and <7 drinks per week
Heavy drinking – At risk for alcohol problems:
Females: >3 drinks per day or >7 drinks per week
Males: >4 drinks per day or >14 drinks per week
Binge drinking
Females: ≥4 drinks in one drinking occasion
Males: ≥5 drinks in one drinking occasion
If you are drinking more than you feel you should, please consider making an appointment with me to talk about this. You are not alone! I would be happy to work with you to come up with a plan or give advice or support to help you with your endeavors. Some folks find that doing a “Dry January” (but can be done any time of year!) can help reset their use. During this month it can also be useful to just be more mindful about your drinking. Notice the situations in which you wanted a drink. What were your thoughts about drinking? What could you do instead?