Facts about moderate drinking

Consequently, short-term recall measures may overestimate the proportion of abstainers compared with other survey methods. Because these frequency measures do not assess the alcohol amount consumed on each drinking occasion, they do not allow researchers to calculate a person’s average or total volume of alcohol consumption. The connection between moderate drinking and lower risk of cardiovascular disease has been observed in men and women. In a combined analysis of six large prospective studies involving more than 320,000 women, researchers found that having 2-5 drinks a day compared with no drinks increased the chances of developing breast cancer as high as 41%. It did not matter whether the form of alcohol was wine, beer, or hard liquor. This doesn’t mean that 40% or so of women who have 2-5 drinks a day will get breast cancer.

The benefits of moderate drinking aren’t limited to the heart. In the Nurses’ Health Study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and other studies, gallstones and type 2 diabetes were less likely to occur in moderate drinkers than in non-drinkers. In the U.S., more about alcohol addiction and abuse 1 drink is usually considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of spirits . Each delivers about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol on average, but there is a wider range now that microbrews and wine are being produced with higher alcohol content.

Moderate Drinking Definition

Finally, based on that information, the article presents definitions of moderate drinking that are currently used in the United States and in other countries. Even when a definition of moderate drinking has been developed, that definition may not apply equally to all people or under all circumstances. Similarly, a healthy woman will likely experience no negative effects from drinking one drink per day; however, if the woman is pregnant, the same drinking level may lead to adverse effects (i.e., fetal impairment).

There is no known safe level of drinking if you are pregnant. Our goal in this series is to present you with solid empirical data on moderate drinking without blaming, labeling, or telling you what to do. What, if anything you decide to do about your drinking is always up to you. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks within two hours for women and five or more drinks within two hours for men. However, eating a healthy diet and being physically active have much greater health benefits and have been more extensively studied.

Moderate Alcohol Consumption

A lack of folate in the diet or folic acid, its supplement form, further increases the risk of breast cancer in women. Folate is needed to produce new cells and to prevent changes in DNA. Folate deficiency, as can occur with heavy alcohol use, can cause changes in genes that may lead to cancer. Alcohol also increases estrogen levels, which fuel the growth of certain breast cancer cells. An adequate intake of folate, at least 400 micrograms a day, when taking at least 1 drink of alcohol daily appears to lessen this increased risk.

• If you’re feeling festive, there are even sparkling varieties available.
• There’s no need for guesswork when defining moderate drinking.
• For beer, wine coolers, and similar alcoholic beverages, the serving size is most likely to be consistent across different households because a “serving” or drink often corresponds to one can or bottle.
• Moderation management has been found most successful for those who have a problem with drinking but who do not meet the criteria and have not been diagnosed with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder.

Some heavy drinkers who’ve experienced problems from their drinking can learn how to moderate their drinking. Drinkers with a shorter history of problems and less severe problems tend to be more successful with cutting back and maintaining it. (We’ll cover this in more depth later in the series.) Drinkers who believe that alcoholism is a bad habit rather than a disease tend to do better with moderation. Any potential benefits of alcohol are relatively small and may not apply to all individuals. In fact, the latest dietary guidelines make it clear that no one should begin drinking alcohol or drink more often on the basis of potential health benefits.

Williams GD, Aitken SS, Malin H. Reliability of self-reported alcohol consumption in a general population survey. In this video, Dr. Bobby Lazzara explains the potential benefits of alcohol for your heart and emphasizes the importance of moderation. One standard drink in the U.S. contains around 14 grams of pure alcohol. According to the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education at the University of Notre Dame, IN, a woman’s body absorbs 30 percent more alcohol than a man’s after drinking the same amount.

Whether or not to drink alcohol, especially for “medicinal purposes,” requires careful balancing of these benefits and risks. It’s possible that the fast-acting enzyme breaks down alcohol before it can have a beneficial effect on HDL and do not let guilt or shame threaten your recovery clotting factors. Interestingly, these differences in the ADH1C gene do not influence the risk of heart disease among people who don’t drink alcohol. This adds strong indirect evidence that alcohol itself reduces heart disease risk.

Defining Moderate Drinking

There is also some evidence that genes influence how alcohol affects the cardiovascular system. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase helps metabolize alcohol. One variant of this enzyme, called alcohol dehydrogenase type 1C , comes in two “flavors.” One quickly breaks down alcohol, the other does it more slowly. Moderate drinkers who have two copies of the gene for the slow-acting enzyme are at much lower risk for cardiovascular disease than moderate drinkers who have two genes for the fast-acting enzyme. Those with one gene for the slow-acting enzyme and one for the faster enzyme fall in between.

The reported alcohol consumption is likely to be higher if the respondent perceives the assessment to be less stigmatizing. For example, estimates of alcohol consumption are higher when alcohol-related questions are part of a food-frequency survey than when the same questions are posed in an alcohol-specific survey. He also explains that the potential benefits are poorly studied and that the possible long-term benefits are outweighed by the more immediate health problems caused by binge drinking. In 2012, results of a study of swine with high cholesterol levels suggested that moderate consumption of both vodka and wine may reduce cardiovascular risk, with wine offering greater protection. In 2015, 26.9 percent of people in the United States reported binge drinking in the past month. Surely’s alcohol-removed wines allow you to have a glass of wine that tastes more like the real thing, without the risk factors of alcohol.

If they are recovering from an alcohol use disorder or if they are unable to control the amount they drink. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Groups That Should Not Drink

Similarly, beverage-specific questions or questions asking for consumption in different contexts (e.g., in bars, at home, or at parties and celebrations) produce higher estimates than do global questions asking about total alcohol consumption. Psychosocial epidemiology and psychiatric epidemiology share common roots. Before World War II, both disciplines relied on key community informants, medical data experts, and agency records for information that defined alcohol-related trends in the population.

The definition of moderate drinking is something of a balancing act. Moderate drinking sits at the point at which the health benefits of alcohol clearly outweigh the risks. This definition of moderate drinking prevents you from getting drunk. Now if your idea of moderate drinking is a 6 pack instead of a 12 pack, this would suggest that you drink with some pretty heavy drinkers. In the United States, however, each bar, restaurant, or other establishment that serves alcoholic beverages can set its own standards, although establishments generally are consistent in the sizes of the drinks they serve. For beer, wine coolers, and similar alcoholic beverages, the serving size is most likely to be consistent across different households because a “serving” or drink often corresponds to one can or bottle.

What’s in a Serving of Alcohol?

In common parlance, a moderate drinker is someone who does not drink to the point of drunkenness unless on special occasions. It is a nebulous concept that people often use to distinguish between a heavy drinker—someone who may frequently drink to the point of drunkenness—and the occasional drinker or non-drinker. These are not scientific terms by any means; they are merely the phrases that have come to be adopted by individuals in their day-to-day use of language, and their definitions are highly subjective.

Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits

Results from these two surveys may report different numbers of abstainers, not because of true differences in drinking practices but because of definitional differences. Some people should not drink alcohol at all, and in these populations even a single drink is considered too much. There is no generally accepted level of moderate drinking defined for these groups. People who should stay away from alcohol entirely include children, adolescents, alcohol allergy & intolerance symptoms & treatment pregnant women, people with chronic liver disease, and people who are recovering from alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse. In addition to these groups, people who plan to operate heavy machinery or perform hazardous activities and those who are taking certain medications should also abstain from drinking alcohol even at moderate levels. These percentages are important to keep in mind when trying to maintain a moderate drinking level.