Alcohol is a hot topic of debate with many opinions on either side: some say there are health benefits to drinking, while some say it’s straight toxic. Whatever we’ve heard, when happy hour comes around many of us just shut off our brain to the nay-sayers and do what we want to. On the other hand, many of us are so anxious about our health, we avoid alcohol like the plague. This confusion can lead many of us to, well, drink. It’s time to look at some facts and see how much alcohol we should be drinking.
UCLA has good news for wine drinkers, saying that consumption of red wine can improve your heart health and reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease. However, they also say that moderation is key, and combining it with exercise is even better. It is also well known that alcohol and your liver don’t mix, and drinking too much can cause your liver to become diseased or fail, thus leading to even more health problems.
So, how much alcohol should we be drinking? Researchers in the United Kingdom shed some light on the issue. Moderate drinking according to the National Health Services (NHS) guidelines means “drinking no more than 14 “units” of alcohol a week. One unit of alcohol is defined as 8 grams of pure alcohol, according to the NHS. In more palatable terms, a pint of beer that’s around 5 percent alcohol is equal to 3 units of alcohol, and a standard glass of wine is equal to about 2 units.” This is equivalent to 5 beers or 7 glasses of wine per week!
What do you think?