“Party, party, party, let’s all get wasted.” Let’s face it, alcohol is every where: music lyrics, music videos, movies and reality TV. Alcohol is ingrained in our social etiquette. A glass of wine with dinner, a glass of wine after a long work day, a beer at the game and a shot of tequila with your taco, maybe two, three or four. A few drinks later, your casual outing has turned into a sloppy mess. We have come to accept these socially approved drinking situations along with the drunkenness that can come from one too many. Binge drinking is #OnTrend, but is there any harm to overdoing it?
READ: 7 Signs You Might Be Dating An Alcoholic
Moderate alcohol consumption is 1 drink per day for women, totaling to no more than 8 drinks per week. As for men, moderate drinking is 2 drinks per day totaling to no more than 15 drinks per week.
One (1) drink = 12oz beer at 5% alcohol content ( AC) = 5oz wine at 12% AC = 1.5 oz hard liquor at 80% AC.
The degree of intoxication is based not only the amount of alcohol consumed but individual weight, body fat content, genetic makeup, time since eating and how quickly the drinks are guzzled down.
Let’s be clear, being alcohol free during the workweek doesn’t mean you can make up for it on the weekend. One drink per day is not the same as 8 drinks in one weekend. While moderate drinking has been loosely linked to protection against dementia and strongly linked to decreased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes; binge drinking (4 drinks in 2 hours for women and 5 drinks in 2 hours for men) cancels these benefits and can be quite harmful.
Besides the well-known harm that binge drinking can do to the liver, it can also lead to decreased brain function and brain size, thinning of the bones, infertility, increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease. Not to mention, alcohol can take all of your sexy! Alcohol depletes vitamin A, zinc and dehydrates the body leading to increased wrinkles, dry skin and dry hair over time.
The bottom line is this: nothing is wrong with drinking in moderation. In fact, it can be healthy, but avoid binge drinking and drinking in excess. Learn more at www.bestiesmd.com.
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Dr. Gameli Dekayie-Amenu & Dr. Chantale Stephens-Archer are the co-founders of BestiesMD. As both best friends and physicians, they developed their company to provide medical information regarding women’s health issues on a relatable & sisterly level. Check them out at www.bestiesmd.com
