Most of us are familiar with the happy feelings a glass of wine or a pint of beer brings. But what happens when one glass becomes two, then three, four, five? Before you pour that next drink you may want to read this!
Most of us are familiar with the happy feelings a glass of wine, or a pint of beer or two can give us. But what happens when one glass becomes two, then three, four, five? "Well, it's a shame to leave the remainder in the bottle!" ... something we all must have caught ourselves saying at some point!
Women come out worse when it comes to drinking, especially young girls (16 to 24 year-olds). We all know how tempting a girls' night out can be. The flip side though, is that this often leads to ‘binge drinking', which is classified by the NHS as having more than double the recommended daily amount in a single drinking session.
Alcohol is a toxin, which is a substance harmful to the body. The body can't store alcohol so it tries to remove it from our body as quickly as possible.
When we have the odd tipple, which you could call ‘light to moderate' drinking, the stomach produces an enzyme (chemical) to deal with the alcohol and make it safe in our bodies. About 20% of alcohol is handled in this way. But if drinking becomes ‘heavy', the stomach can't cope and the liver takes over. The liver is the largest organ in the body and it is here where most - about 70% - of alcohol is processed; the remaining 10% we either breathe out or wee out!
The liver is a clever organ and keeps us healthy. Our food and drink is delivered there in our bloodstream, and the liver keeps what's useful and gets rid of what is not. Fat, although not usually welcomed on our bums, tums and thighs, is actually important for energy. So, the liver breaks this fat down. In healthy people - those who drink sensibly or don't drink alcohol - this happens very well. In heavy drinkers, the opposite happens and fat builds up, sometimes in large amounts, because the liver is busy trying to get rid of the alcohol instead. If you drink regularly and heavily for many years, the fat build-up can become so bad that inflammation and scarring can occur, leading to hepatitis, which means inflammation of the liver, and cirrhosis - permanent scarring of the liver. Inflammatory changes can also weaken other organs, such as the stomach and heart, and they too can't do their job properly.
In the shorter term, alcohol slows down the breakdown and release of sugar into our bloodstream. The brain needs a certain amount of sugar so that we can think, make decisions and move in a co-ordinated manner. This is why a heavy session can lead to symptoms such as light-headedness, slurred speech, headache, poor concentration and loss of consciousness.
How much is too much?
The Department of Health recommend that men drink no more than 21 units of alcohol per week and women no more than 14 units. Ideally, this should average at 3-4 (men) and 2-3 units (women) a day, including two ‘alcohol-free' days if drinking towards the upper end of the limit. Women, unfortunately, naturally have more fat and their stomachs produce less of the enzyme which processes alcohol, which is why their alcohol limit is lower.
What is a unit?
... A good question! The definition of a unit is complex. Asking yourself these two questions will hopefully help:-
1. What is the size of my glass/can/bottle?
2. What is the ABV (alcohol by volume)?
The larger the glass and the higher the ABV, the more units you will be consuming.
Another way of understanding ABV is to think about the strength of the alcoholic drink. Strength ranges from as little as 2% - almost ‘alcohol-free' - to 40% in spirits such as whiskey, brandy, rum. Typically, wine ranges from 10 - 15 or 16% ABV, beers from 2% (low alcohol) right up to 9% (super strength). Spirits are usually 40% ABV.
In days gone by, alcoholic drinks were less strong and pub measures were smaller. It was often thought that one glass = one unit. Not so! Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated, but to help you work out the number of units in your usual tipple, here is a useful sum you can use:-
Amount in millilitres multiplied by ABV, divided by 1000
250ml glass of wine x 13% ABV = 3.25 units
1000
330ml bottle of lager x 5% ABV = 1.65 units
1000
... or if maths is not your thing, have a look a look at a few examples which have been worked out for you ....
Bacardi Breezer 1.1 units per bottle
Wkd 1.4 units per bottle
Corona 1.5 units per bottle
Fosters 2.3 units per pint
Guinness 2.4 units per pint
Stella Artois 2.8 units per pint
Chilean Chardonnay 2.3 units per glass (175ml)
Australian Shiraz 2.4 units per glass (175ml)
Duvel 2.8 units (330ml bottle)
Leffe 3 units (330ml bottle)
As marvellous as the liver is, we need to give it time to do its job properly - about one hour to process 1 unit of alcohol. This means we should not drink faster than the liver has the ability to deal with it - and why binge drinking can be dangerous.
... as the units build up, so do the damaging effects ....
1-2 units: Little harmful effect
3-4 units: Feeling of relaxation and slight drowsiness
5-6 units: Loss of physical and mental co-ordination. Judgement, concentration and memory may be affected.
7-8 units: Slurred speech and difficulty in standing or walking
15-20 units: Likely to have passed out
More information, including a ‘Unit calculator' can be found at www.units.nhs.uk
Alcohol and pregnancy
During pregnancy, alcohol passes through the placenta to the foetus (developing baby). The placenta is the organ which connects a mother to the foetus. The foetus' liver doesn't work properly until the later stages of pregnancy. It's also much smaller than our own liver and so does not like large amounts of alcohol. Drinking heavily during pregnancy can mean your baby weighs less than it should when it is born and doesn't grow to its normal size. Your baby may also develop learning difficulties and abnormal behaviour. Drinking during pregnancy can also increase the risk of losing your baby before it is born.
It is recommended that mothers avoid alcohol throughout their pregnancy. If you are pregnant and do choose to drink, stick to 1-2 units once or twice a week and avoid it completely during the first three months
Alcohol and fertility
It may not be the first thing on our minds when we're enjoying a few drinks with our friends, but if having a family is important to you at some stage in your life, you may want to think about cutting down on how much you drink. Our sex hormones do not like alcohol and we may not produce enough of them to make a baby.
Alcohol and weight
It's often forgotten just how calorific alcohol is. At 7 calories per gram, it contains almost twice the calories of carbohydrate and protein and is not far behind fat, at 9 kcal per gram. Cutting down on alcohol can therefore be a good starting point in losing weight, especially amongst those of us who drink a little too much.
Alcohol contains lots of energy but has no nutritive value. The more calories we have in alcohol, the less likely it is that nutrient-containing calories from food are eaten. Alcohol abusers can become poorly nourished and lack the nutrients to carry out normal bodily functions. This can affect every organ of the body, but especially the liver.
Tips for cutting down
- Drink at least the same volume of water after each alcoholic drink and before retiring to bed
- Read the alcohol content of bottles and cans and choose lower alcohol varieties, eg. 2% ABV for lagers/beers and 8% ABV for wine
- Experiment with alcohol-free beverages - but watch the calorie content if you are trying to lose weight as they are often sugary. Asda have a wide range for you to try.
- Don't drink on an empty stomach and your body will handle the alcohol more efficiently
- Know your body and listen to it! Stop drinking when you know the alcohol is affecting your concentration.
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