Everyone should know these facts about alcohol.

1. If you can drink a lot, then you are healthy!

A common myth is that if a man can drink a lot (more than others), then this indicates his good health and masculinity. However, neither the first nor the second statement has anything to do with reality.

But what really? If you are resistant to the effects of alcohol, then this, unfortunately, already indicates the second stage of alcoholism. Doctors call this condition “alcohol tolerance.”

It is not observed in all patients, but its presence is an alarming sign that in the near future the body is at risk of serious poisoning from toxic breakdown products of alcohol. This leads to the development of many diseases, in particular, heart and vascular diseases. Such lesions are responsible for 30% of deaths in men over 45 years of age.

2. Alcohol relieves stress.

This is a fairly popular misconception that often becomes the cause of alcoholism. Indeed, small doses of alcohol lead to the release of happiness hormones - endorphins - into the blood. This improves mood and gives a person a feeling of vigor and self-confidence. For some time a person forgets about his problems, but he is not able to solve them.

Drinking alcoholic beverages in large quantities leads to a rapid depletion of endorphins and a deterioration in overall well-being due to the toxic effects of alcohol. In addition, people who frequently drink alcohol experience a feeling of guilt, which is associated with their condition and missed opportunities.

3. Alcohol improves sleep.

A glass of wine or a glass of cognac improves sleep. Many people talk about this, and there are those who do it often. Indeed, small doses of alcoholic drinks cause relaxation and slight drowsiness. True, over time this effect disappears.

When the body gets used to alcohol, the relaxing effect goes away, and large portions of alcoholic drinks, on the contrary, excite the person. In this state, a person can fall asleep, but the rhythm of sleep will be disrupted, and he will not be able to rest normally.

4. Alcohol improves appetite.

This statement is only partly true. Approximately 20-25 ml of strong alcohol, consumed 15 minutes before a meal, really activates the nerve center responsible for the feeling of hunger.

But if you drink alcohol on an empty stomach, you will greatly harm your body. Alcohol has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus. This provokes development inflammatory process, and also contributes to the development of stomach and duodenal ulcers.

5. Alcoholism can be cured.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely cure a person from alcoholism. You can get someone to stop drinking alcohol, but it is impossible to make them indifferent to alcohol. This means that a former alcoholic must stop drinking alcohol completely, and even small doses of alcohol can lead to relapse again.

Alcoholism is an incurable disease because there is always a possibility of relapse, even after prolonged abstinence.

“The New Year is rushing towards us, everything will happen soon!..” You are probably already preparing for the New Year, for a fun and noisy celebration, where, along with original snacks places of honor will be taken by alcoholic drinks.
But before “everything happens...”, I would like to ask: “Do you know how to drink alcohol correctly so that it doesn’t hurt excruciatingly the next day? So as not to pester headache and managed to avoid a severe hangover?”

alcohol consumption:

Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach

It is advisable to have a snack 1.5 - 2 hours before the start of the party. Immediately before drinking alcohol, swallow a small amount of fat - for example, a piece butter, or a teaspoon of olive. Fat coats the walls of the stomach, making alcohol absorbed into the blood more slowly.
Alcoholic drinks, especially strong ones, have a destructive effect on the gastric mucosa. The oil will help minimize the damage ethanol causes to your digestive system.

Be sure to have a snack

Soon after the start of the feast, the oil will be absorbed, and you risk leaving your stomach alone with alcohol. So don’t forget to have a snack, and a good one! Vegetable salad, fruit or chocolate will not help your stomach:

• eat nourishing, high-calorie food - meat, potatoes, fatty foods will help slow down intoxication. However, you shouldn’t lean too much on food, because it’s an additional burden for everything gastrointestinal tract, especially for the liver, which is already having a hard time.

Drink slowly

If you are impatient to “quickly fall asleep with your face in the salad,” you, of course, can support the traditional table slogan “there is a short break between the first and second,” but this can lead to disastrous consequences. Therefore, it is very important to know how to drink alcohol correctly in order to avoid trouble:

• It is believed that the amount of alcohol that a person can drink relatively safely within an hour is 15 ml pure alcohol. This is the equivalent of 150 ml of vodka or half a bottle of wine.

Dilute alcohol with water

The strength of alcoholic beverages obtained naturally does not exceed 15-16 degrees. It is this concentration of alcohol that is considered the safest from a health point of view:

• stronger alcohol obtained as a result of distillation has an extremely destructive effect on the body, so it is highly advisable to dilute strong drinks with water in a ratio of 1:3. Thanks to this, you can drink the same amount of alcohol with virtually no harm to your health and with minimal hangover.

• If you are not ready to dilute alcohol with water or drink cocktails, add ice to the drink. And don't forget to drink! Moreover, a sip of water with a glass of vodka will not save you from a painful hangover: the volume of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks consumed should be equal.

Less sugar

High concentrations of alcohol and glucose in the blood are extremely dangerous because they create a huge load on the liver, pancreas and other organs that have to cope with all this “happiness”. This is very important point in the question of how to drink alcohol correctly and not harm your health, so take this point into special note:

• avoid drinking sweet liqueurs, dessert wines and other drinks with high content Sahara. It is better to drink alcohol with unsweetened drinks, for example, non-carbonated mineral water or natural juice. Do not drink soda, sweet cocktails and so-called nectars - juices diluted with sugar syrup.

Be careful with carbonated drinks

• carbon dioxide, which is used to carbonate sweet water and mineral water, significantly accelerates the process of alcohol penetration into the blood, so when drinking alcohol with carbonated drinks, you get drunk much faster;
• Keep this fact in mind if you drink cocktails created with the addition of carbonated drinks. The same is true for champagne and sparkling wines: it is well known that these seemingly harmless drinks “go to your head” very much. The culprit is the high concentration of carbon dioxide.

Do not mix alcohol of different origins

Wines and cognacs are made by fermenting berries; whiskey, vodka, beer are obtained through the fermentation of cereals; rum and tequila are the result of fermentation of plant juices:

• do not try to combine drinks of different origins - they will definitely punish you with a hellish headache if you try to “make friends” with them.

Move more

• movement speeds up metabolic processes. Try to sit still less - this way you will help your body cope with the consequences of alcoholic libations. Dance, communicate more. After all, you came to the party to have fun, and not to sluggishly doze at the table.

More fresh air, less cigarettes

Even many non-smokers light a cigarette while drinking a glass, and smokers at parties even smoke worse than a steam locomotive:

• remember, tobacco smoke - the surest way worsen your hangover, so try to smoke less and avoid smoky rooms. If you can’t do without cigarettes, go out and smoke in the fresh air.

B vitamins can help you

• Before drinking alcohol, stock up on B vitamins - they can be found in any pharmacy. They will help your nervous system, liver and other organs survive the party safe and sound.
• But in the fight against a hangover, the best allies are vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid.

Almost any feast is invariably accompanied by the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and in order to ensure that they do not cause harm or cause severe intoxication, you need to know how to drink alcohol correctly.

Why does everyone get drunk differently?

The absorption of alcohol into the blood occurs very quickly, as evidenced by mild intoxication that occurs within 10-15 minutes after drinking. However, few people know that alcohol enters the bloodstream not only from the stomach and small intestine, but also in the oral cavity.

• That is why one of the golden rules of drinking alcohol is not to keep alcohol in your mouth. The fact is that it is in the oral cavity that the maximum number of small blood vessels, which instantly deliver ethanol to brain cells.
• Further, the alcohol that enters the bloodstream is transported to all organs and systems and is already metabolized in the liver. That is, the liver produces special enzymes that help break down and remove alcohol from the body.

The degree of intoxication of each individual person depends on the level of the liver enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase and acetal dehydrogenase. If there are enough of them in the human body, then intoxication does not occur so quickly. The lack of such enzymes leads to either rapid intoxication or even alcohol intolerance.

The work and presence of enzymes depends on several factors:

• Region of residence. The further south you go, the more enzymes there are. As an example, we can cite southern Italians or Armenians, who have these enzymes in abundance. Northerners (Finns, etc.) have a hard time tolerating alcohol due to... That is, the sun plays a certain role in their production.
• Floor. Men have many times more such enzymes than women.
• Health status. Any chronic illness worsens susceptibility to alcohol.

How to drink alcohol correctly: rules for competent drinking ^

The first rule that you need to learn is to prepare your body for drinking alcohol:

• A day before the expected holiday, you need to drink B vitamins. The fact is that alcohol takes away all the reserves of B vitamins from the body. And they, as you know, take a direct part in restoring the body after libation. You can find vitamin preparations at the pharmacy. Moreover, multivitamins are not suitable. It is the B vitamins that are needed.
• In 2-3 hours you can drink 50-70 grams. vodka or a glass of beer to prepare the liver for the load. But don’t get carried away and drink too much, otherwise preliminary preparation turns into drinking. Drinking alcohol allows the liver to produce the necessary enzymes and be ready for new portions of alcohol. In this case, intoxication will occur more slowly and less pronounced. Of course, subject to the dose of alcohol and the frequency of its consumption.
• An hour before the feast, you can drink succinic acid, which eliminates all hangover syndromes in the morning, reducing the toxic effect of vodka on the body and spurring its strength to recover.
• Immediately during the party, you need to snack on fatty foods, or eat a couple of meals before that. boiled eggs, plate rice porridge with butter, and also drink 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil - all this helps reduce the rate of absorption of alcohol into the blood.

If you don’t want to drink before the holiday, you can use dry yeast. They should be eaten in the amount of 1 teaspoon and washed down with water or yogurt.

What drugs can you take before a feast?

To help the body more easily cope with the toxic effects of vodka, you can also take certain medications. In particular, these are enzyme preparations or sorbent preparations. So, they will help you get drunk more slowly and not be sick the next morning:

• Activated carbon. You can drink it both before and after the feast. The number of tablets is calculated at 1 for every 10 kg of a person’s weight.
• Enterosgel. No worse activated carbon binds toxins and removes them from the body. The drug can also be used both before and after the holiday.
• Creon, Mezim or Abomin. This group of drugs includes enzymes that will help quickly neutralize alcohol in the blood. You need to take them an hour before the start of the holiday, since they begin to act an hour after taking them.

Now let’s learn more about how to drink alcohol correctly at the celebration itself:

• Keep the rhythm. You should not drink vodka glasses one after another. Even if toast follows toast, and it’s impossible not to drink, it will be enough to simply stretch one glass of vodka over several toasts. That is, just sip a little. Remember, by taking even a short break, you will do your body a favor and will be able to avoid getting drunk longer;
• You can’t start drinking vodka first and then beer, because... you can only increase the degree of alcohol;
• Be sure to eat after every drink. And you don’t have to throw a lot of food into yourself. It’s better if it’s just a sandwich with caviar or salmon after each glass. It would be enough;
• Any alcoholic drink should be taken with a snack, but you can’t wash it down with carbonated lemonade - gases contribute to the rapid entry of alcohol into the blood;
• It is recommended to eat strong alcohol with meat, lard or sandwiches with butter, as they slow down the absorption of alcohol into the blood;
• It is recommended to go out into the fresh air more often and move more - for example, dancing: this speeds up metabolism and prevents severe intoxication;
• You need to know your limits and not drink more than you should, otherwise you may have a severe hangover in the morning.
• It is worth noting that there is no maximum safe dose of alcohol for a person, but it is believed that you can afford a glass of wine or a bottle of beer per day.

How to drink correctly so as not to feel sick

For people who do not drink alcohol very often, there are several simple techniques:

• Firstly, you need to avoid strong alcohol, because it most often provokes gag reflexes. You can limit yourself to wine or champagne;
• Secondly, even weak alcoholic drinks must be drunk slowly, and there is a simple explanation for this: while other people drink shot after shot, if you drink alcohol slowly, you can remain practically sober until the end of the feast;
• Thirdly, be sure to choose a hearty snack, because... Fruits, due to their acid content, can cause nausea.

What alcoholic drinks can be mixed:

• Wine and cognac;
• Whiskey and beer.

Other types of alcohol cannot be mixed, because they are most often prepared from different raw materials.

What alcohol should not be mixed with

Never mix drinks that are too different in production technology:

• Champagne is contraindicated in “neighborhood” with vodka, whiskey and cognac;
• Vodka “does not tolerate” the presence of beer and unaged homemade wines;
• It is advisable not to put rum and brandy face to face with liqueurs.

The combination of champagne with strong drinks - vodka, cognac, rum, whiskey - is fraught with strong and rapid intoxication and then creepy hangover syndrome. The reason for this is the large amount of gases contained in it. It is the “funny bubbles” that contain carbon dioxide, which irritates the gastric mucosa and increases the absorption of alcohol into the blood.

• It is risky to mix strong alcoholic drinks even with such harmless liquids as fruit juices, mineral water, lemonade - when mixed with alcohol, they form “armor-piercing” cocktails.
• The combination of alcohol with energy drinks can provoke a hypertensive crisis, heart attack, seizures, kidney dysfunction and other life-threatening conditions

Should you drink alcohol?

The explanation of why you should not mix alcohol with medications is quite simple: any drugs can react with alcohol, which negatively affects the functioning of the brain and vital systems of the body, and there are frequent cases fatal outcome.

Is it possible to get fat from pure alcohol?

Women who watch their figure are often interested in this question. For some reason, many people believe that if alcoholic drinks do not contain fat, then they have no effect on their figure, but this is not true:

• After entering the body, any alcohol has the ability to disintegrate and then turn into fat, so such drinks are prohibited by most diets.
• The exception is dry wine: It is believed that it does not harm the figure in any way if you drink no more than two glasses a day.

How to drink alcohol: rules for drinking alcoholic beverages

How to drink tequila correctly

There are several popular ways correct use tequila:

• We eat a small chili pepper before drinking the drink;
• Pour the tequila into a small shot glass, sprinkle a little salt on your hand, and cut up a lime or lemon.
• Next, lick the salt, drink alcohol and snack on citrus.

How to drink whiskey correctly

Traditionally, sommeliers advise not to mix it with anything. this drink, but lately a lot of cocktails have been made with it.

• Whiskey and Cola: put ice at the bottom of the glass, fill 1/3 with whiskey, pour cold Cola to the top.
• Whiskey with ice: pour two-thirds of ice into a glass and pour whiskey so that the drink does not cover the surface of small icebergs. As the ice cubes melt, the taste of the drink begins to weaken and become more delicate.
• Whiskey is often mixed with fruit juices in a ratio of one to two. The most refined taste qualities have mixes of whiskey with cranberry or apple juice.
• Also scotch whiskey can be supplemented with lemon or pomegranate juice, garnishing with a sprig of mint or lemon balm.

Irish whiskey with coffee is especially popular. This drink is made from carefully roasted coffee beans, which form the basis of an excellent insoluble drink. You can drink it hot or warm, or cold with ice and cream liqueur.

How to drink cognac correctly

It has always been believed that cognac is best served room temperature, and in the process of drinking, also warm your palms with warmth - this contributes to the manifestation of aroma and taste. Now there is a tendency to drink cognac chilled, with the addition of ice, and also to prepare various cocktails based on it.

This noble drink It is customary to use it as follows:

• After taking a sip, hold the cognac in your mouth for a few seconds;
• You can snack on hard cheese, seafood, meat or fruit;
• It combines most successfully with coffee, tea, orange and lemon juices, fruit and berry syrups, cream and soft carbonated drinks.

How to drink rum correctly

The pirate drink has several traditions:

• It is advisable to drink it from a silver flask, but a shot glass or glass will do;
• You need to consume it in small sips and slowly, and not in one fell swoop;
• Rum must be chilled.

Apart from vodka, there is no alcoholic drink more versatile and popular around the world than rum. This distillate can be drunk in absolutely different ways, from leisurely sipping to pure form aged versions and ending with mixing amazing cocktails, which can include up to 10 or more ingredients.

Young rum does not have to be mixed in cocktails; it can simply be diluted with juice and more.

• To 1 part of rum, add 2-4 parts of orange, apple, pineapple or grapefruit juice, if it is light rum, and the same amount of cherry, pomegranate or blackcurrant juice, as well as any berry juice, if it is golden or dark rum.
• You can put a few ice cubes in the glass before mixing or use the juices chilled.
• Also, light rum tastes great with tonic if you prepare the drink according to the proportions of gin and tonic.

How to drink a martini correctly

The most popular types of vermouth are:

• Martini Rosso – has a caramel-red color and a bitter taste.
• Martini Bianko is a white vermouth with a vanilla scent and a characteristic spice.
• Martini Rosato - pink vermouth, contains a variety of spices. To produce this type of martini, white and red wine are used.

The composition of absolutely any martini includes only dry wine and a huge number of plants, such as orange, chamomile, ginger, mint, coriander, immortelle, yarrow, juniper, ash, St. John's wort, etc. The main ingredient is wormwood, thanks to which, for example, the Rosso martini have a unique taste.

Martini is always drunk slowly, but cocktails are often made with it:

• With juice: any citrus juice is best;
• You can add lemon and ice to your martini.

Martini cocktail recipes:

"Orange Martini"

• 100 ml. Martini Bianko
• 200 ml. orange juice
• 5-6 ice cubes
• orange slice

"Explosion"

• 20 ml. vodka
• 20 ml. Martini Bianko
• 15 ml. Irish cream
• 10 ml. grenadine

"Tequila Martini"

• 30 ml. Martini Bianko
• 60 ml. tequila
• 5-6 ice cubes
• 1 slice of lemon

Cocktail "Matador"

• 15 ml. Martini Bianko
• 40 ml. whiskey
• 20 ml. orange juice
• 1 orange slice (for garnish)
• 1 ml. grenadine
• 10 ml. liqueur "Sour cherry"
• 1 ml. orange bitters
• 1 cocktail cherry (for garnish)
• 5-6 ice cubes

"Puppet"

• 50 ml. Martini Bianko
• 50 ml. Martini ExtraDry
• 30 ml. orange juice
• 10 ml. white rum
• 10 ml. banana liqueur
• 5-6 ice cubes

This is not the entire list of cocktails that can be prepared based on martini, it all depends on your imagination - the main thing is not to overdo it.

How to drink vodka correctly

The temperature of vodka should be in the range from 5 to 10 degrees; warm water will not bring pleasure. Typically, it is cooled for several hours in the refrigerator. It is customary to drink vodka from shots (glasses) with a volume of up to 60 ml. Before using, glasses should be cooled in freezer refrigerator.

In order to avoid a hangover the next day after drinking vodka, you need to follow simple rules:

• Prepare your body in advance by drinking 50 g of vodka 2 hours before the feast;
• Vodka is drunk in one gulp, first you need to exhale deeply, then take a sip on the next breath;
• After you take a sip of vodka, you need to exhale deeply, thereby getting rid of alcohol vapors.

How to drink alcohol correctly

Alcohol pre-diluted with water or juice is used as follows:

• Before emptying the glass, take a deep breath;
• We hold our breath, drink a glass, and after a few seconds exhale;
• We consume no more than 50 g at a time.

How to drink wine correctly

There is a special wine etiquette, according to which wine should be served chilled to a certain temperature, in which case it opens better taste characteristics. For each type of wine, the recommended cooling temperature is different:

• The ideal temperature for dry red wine is 12-14 º C, for semi-sweet wine - 13-16 ° C, for fortified wine - 15-18 ° C.
• White wine should also be served chilled, but the temperature should be slightly lower: 5-7 ºC for dry, 7-9 °C for semi-sweet.

The wine should be opened about an hour before drinking to allow the drink to “breathe.” Also, in order to allow the taste of the wine to “open up”, you should not swallow it right away, you first need to “weigh” it a little on the tongue. A glass of wine should only be held by the stem, otherwise the heat of your hand will be transferred to the drink, and this may affect its taste.

The best pairing with wine is cheese. By the way, wine and cheese count strong aphrodisiacs. Dark chocolate goes well with wine. But what is strictly contraindicated to serve with wine are salty and fermented products, canned fish and dishes richly seasoned with spices and vinegar.

• Red wine goes well with meat dishes(lamb, veal, Domestic bird, game), vegetable snacks, mushrooms.
• White wine goes well with fish and seafood, white meat, light snacks, cheese.
• Some varieties of white wine are with fruit.

How to drink champagne correctly

Before serving, champagne is cooled to 7-10 ° C. Drink it from long narrow glasses, holding the stem or base by the very bottom. It is recommended to drink it in small sips, enjoying the play of bubbles.

• This noble drink should be drunk in small sips before meals and eaten as a snack. fruit salads, cookies, biscuits, marshmallows.
• Black or red caviar, fish, seafood, dishes from white meat, cheese, olives, fruits, sweet dishes, ice cream, chocolate (but not bitter).
• You should not serve champagne with too salty or too sweet dishes, or with dishes with spicy seasonings or garlic.

How to drink properly on the road

“Drink on the road” means drinking a farewell shot before leaving guests in a sequence corresponding to Russian traditions:

• At the end of the feast - show respect to the other guests;
• When leaving the table - lifting;
• Moving from the table - move your feet;
• Coming out of the threshold - Zaporozhye;
• Being in the courtyard - a courtier;
• For a staff - the guest is given a staff and a glass is placed on it. If he spilled wine, he had to stay overnight;
• Before the guest put his foot in the stirrup, he was supposed to drink “stirrup”;
• When he sat in the saddle, he drank “saddle drink”;
• Having arrived at the gate, he was supposed to drink a “love potion”;
• While outside the gate, I drank the bar drink.

How to drink correctly at Brudershaft

Following a ritual that originated in Germany, you can drink at brotherhood only with a person you know well:

• Both cross their arms;
• Be sure to drink an alcoholic drink to the bottom;
• The custom is sealed with a kiss.

How to drink properly and not get drunk ^

While visiting, it is enough to follow a few important rules to prevent an incident and not to get too drunk:

• Do not exceed your alcohol limit. You should not drink more than your body can tolerate. When starting libations, always remember this;
• Do not drink alcohol with carbonated liquids;
• Snack on strong drinks with fatty foods;
• If nausea occurs, switch to soft drinks- the more you drink, the lower the alcohol concentration in your blood will be;
• Take Enterosgel. It is advisable to take 2 spoons of the drug every two hours. It will bind toxins and remove them unchanged;
• Move more. Dance and interact with guests. Movement accelerates the process of blood flow, and therefore the process of alcohol processing in the liver. Those who drink a lot should speed up the flow of blood by moving.
• Do not stay in a smoky or stuffy room for too long.

People are proving that drinking in moderation is incredibly healthy. But what does “moderate” mean? How do you know when alcohol damages your health? In fact, even scientists admit that alcohol in certain (small) doses is beneficial; take the example of red wine, in which antioxidants, vitamins and microelements can be found. Harm occurs when alcohol damages internal organs person, and this will definitely happen if you drink more than 170 g of alcohol more than once every 8 days.

So is it possible to drink in moderation? What risks does a person who drinks alcohol face? At what point does moderate drinking end and alcohol abuse begins?

All the most important things about drinking in moderation

“The main thing is to drink in moderation,” a person who is already one step away from terrible and destructive alcoholism often thinks.

The dose, after taking which the human liver is in serious danger, is equal to 90 g of pure ethanol per day. For a moment, this is 285 ml of vodka (a little more than a glass of vodka). Harm to the human brain occurs from a much smaller dosage - 19 g of ethanol (or 60 ml of vodka) in 24 hours. And this applies to absolutely healthy people with a normal and working liver, a healthy brain, kidneys and other organs.

Now imagine what awaits a person if he drinks a glass of vodka every day:

• an intractable dependence on alcohol will begin to develop;
• in six months he will begin to suffer from such susceptibility to alcohol in the presence of a hereditary predisposition to this disease;
• this trouble will manifest itself within 36 months (3 years) in the absence of a hereditary predisposition.
• after a couple of months there will be a strong desire to regularly increase the dose.

If we assume that a person has suffered a significant disease (for example, viral hepatitis), then the moderate dose for him will be 2 or even 3 times less.

It should be clear: moderate drinkers - how much can you drink without causing harm to your own body? How much can you drink so that all body systems have time to recover?

All calculations are carried out based on the fact that healthy man metabolizes alcohol in the amount of 170 g per day. As a result, interesting results and conclusions are obtained:

1. If a person ingests 170 g of pure alcohol in 1 day, then for the next 8 days he must refrain from drinking any (even the weakest) alcoholic beverages.
2. The permissible (acceptable) dose per month is 586 grams.
3. In other words, you can drink a little more than one and a half classic bottles of vodka per month.

If it turns out that you have to drink more than 170 g in one holiday, then you need to increase the time interval between drinks, and next time drink alcohol, say, not after 8 days, but after 10-12. This will significantly reduce the harm and negative consequences of alcohol.

What conclusion should you come to in such a situation: drink much less often or drink more moderately? Experts are more inclined to the first option. Less often means once a month and not more often than that. Although some argue that if the dosages are followed correctly, it doesn’t really matter how often a person drinks.

Wine: is it useful or not?

Moderately drinking people, at least those people who call themselves that, insist on the following - drinking dry red wine is extremely healthy. Their rationale is based on the fact that wine contains a strong antioxidant, prevents cancer, etc.

On the contrary, scientific research indicates the following: drinking wine in large quantities harmful. It contains certain substances, an excess of which will involuntarily cause complications, so such a drink will be harmful.

You need to know some well-founded facts about the benefits of wine:

• The drink contains the antioxidant resveratrol, which is also found in grape juice, only in much smaller quantities.
• There are valuable microelements that improve human health.
• An acceptable dose for a person in good health is approximately 3 glasses of wine per 7 days (450 ml drink).

It should also be mentioned that talk about the effectiveness of red wine in the treatment of atherosclerosis turned out to be just rumors, since modern research prove the opposite.

It turns out that drinking wine is beneficial, but only when you follow established standards, and do not exceed safe dosage drink consumed.

Is it okay to drink beer in moderation?

Another drink, besides wine, that many people claim is healthy is beer. Yes, indeed, unpasteurized or live beer can be beneficial for the body, but even here there are certain restrictions, after which the drink becomes harmful to humans. 600 ml per day is a completely acceptable norm, although this norm is also specified, since drinking even a small amount of beer for several years leads to the development of the third stage of alcohol dependence.

Beer in moderation has beneficial effects:

1. Cosmetic effect on skin condition.
2. Normalizes blood pressure.
3. Calms nervous system person.
4. Maintains necessary cholesterol levels.

It is important to remember that beer addiction progresses secretly and little by little, which is why it is difficult to notice at the initial stage. Subsequently, this same disease is more difficult to treat than, for example, addiction caused by the abuse of vodka or other alcoholic beverages. Therefore, it is fundamentally wrong to prove that beer is a safe alcoholic drink.

Hormesis effect

As for all other alcohol, you can get benefits from moderate consumption, taking into account the so-called hormesis effect (sometimes hermesis).

What is the meaning of this principle? This is the stimulating effect of small doses of exposure to those substances that in higher doses cause a toxic effect. In simple words- if alcohol in excess doses harms the body, then in small quantities it can have a stimulating effect.

This effect is obtained not by moderately drinking groups of people, but by those who consume just insignificant (about 50 ml of vodka 2 times in 7 days) doses of alcohol, and not a gram more.

What is better: drinking in moderation or not drinking alcohol at all?

And what do you want to do now, knowing all these numbers that speak either about the benefits of alcohol or about its harm? Should you quit drinking forever or should you drink in moderation for your health?

Previous studies showing the benefits of moderate drinking turned out to be erroneous. Today scientists from leading countries of the world, including the United States and Canada, have started talking about this.

Those experiments showed the following result: moderate and moderate drinkers were much healthier than absolutely non-drinkers. But what's the catch? The fact is that everyone was recruited into the category of abstainers: people with already poor health, those people who drank a lot in their youth, those who could not drink alcohol for medical reasons, etc.

Thus, the result was unreliable. Scientists conducted a number of additional studies, correcting their mistake, and it turned out that non-drinkers are healthier than those who drink in moderation, and the former live much longer than the latter.

Are there any benefits to alcohol and should you drink in moderation?

One study conducted in 1999 by physician-scientist T. J. Cleophas demonstrated that drinking alcohol in moderation has health benefits. of cardio-vascular system person. A similar study was conducted in the same year in the USA, when the benefits of alcohol for the human brain were proven.

The results of the experiments were as follows:

• Those patients who learned to drink in moderate doses were less likely to experience myocardial infarction. They drank from 14 to 56 g of pure alcohol daily (less than 1 glass of vodka). Also, people who adhered to moderate doses were less likely to develop an intellectual disorder.
• Those who made the bold decision not to drink at all had a slightly increased risk of heart attack, and were slightly more likely to develop dementia.
• The most noticeable health problems were experienced by those who frequently drank alcohol in large quantities. In such situations, myocardial infarction occurred, and brain diseases more often manifested themselves.

After such research results, several things immediately arise in my head: current issues: Can an alcoholic drink in moderation? So, it means it’s still better to drink a little alcohol than to become a teetotaler?

But here it is important to mention another experiment performed by American and Japanese scientists (K. A. Paul and K. Fukuda) in 2008, which showed a completely different effect - patients who drank alcohol in moderation were more likely to experience serious brain ailments than those who who have completely given up alcohol.

Conclusions: Is it possible to drink in moderation?

As you can see, the experiments demonstrated completely different results, which is nothing abnormal, because health and how long a person will live on earth are influenced by many factors other than alcohol intake: daily nutrition, lifestyle, working conditions, climate, etc. This is why one specific study cannot provide 100% objective information.

Only one thing can be said for sure - there are benefits from drinking alcohol in small quantities, but this benefit is not particularly noticeable against the backdrop of the danger that awaits you if you drink alcohol. In addition, the harm from alcohol manifests itself instantly, and it is easily detected by scientists and doctors when examining a person.

How to drink in moderation and is it worth doing it at all? If you really care about your own health, then it is better to forget about alcohol altogether. Use only what it brings real benefit and does not contain any harm, so that you no longer have any doubts.

45% of the world's population have completely stopped drinking alcohol. The remaining 65% or 122 million people still doubt whether they can or cannot drink alcohol.

Despite the shocking statistics of mortality of every fifth man and 6% of women due to addiction, only 13% of patients decide to stop drinking. Unfortunately, Federal Law No. 178, which provides not only for the control of production and turnover, is also unable to prohibit the distribution of alcohol-containing products ethyl alcohol, but also takes into account the rights and freedoms of citizens.

That is why the state is monitoring the reduction in sales, limiting sales, increasing the cost of excise stamps and prices for alcoholic goods.

How alcohol affects the body

Lack of drinking culture skills and regular abuse of the permissible alcohol limit causes irreparable harm health. Malicious influence begins from the moment when alcohol levels in the blood reach 0.3-0.5 ppm.

Degree mild intoxication that a person experiences indicates a toxic injury. 5-10 minutes are enough for acetaldehyde to penetrate organs and tissues, poisoning the most important vital systems.

On the other hand, benefits from alcohol are possible, but only if you drink safe dose in 28.3 grams of pure ethyl alcohol several times a week.

Ethanol interacts with membranes. Dissolving in lipids, it increases cell fluidity and permeability. The membrane-tropic effect creates favorable conditions for the penetration of glucose through ion channels, which is very important at the initial stage of diabetes mellitus.

As a result of a decrease in excitability and changes in the aggregate structure of membranes, the transport of Na and K is enhanced, and the metabolism of Ca and Mg is suppressed. Excess fatty acid esters accumulate in the heart tissues, and cholesterol levels increase.

There is a risk of hypoxia in the myocardium, the risk of developing pancreatic diseases, and a decrease in insulin production.

Acetaldehyde forms strong bonds with plasma proteins and hemoglobin.

Alcohol can be drunk to dilate blood vessels, increase blood flow and prevent platelet aggregation, in order to achieve a warming and antibacterial effect for colds and flu.

The digestive organs suffer from alcohol. The burning poison causes damage to the walls of the stomach and small intestine, duodenum, and disrupts absorption minerals and vitamins, neutral lipids.

The consequence of the changes is lactase deficiency, without which the breakdown of lactose and the formation of glucose is impossible. After drinking beer, the amount of maltase and sucrase decreases. Enzymes are part of intestinal juice, blood and liver, and are involved in the synthesis of energy reserves.

Euphoria and increased libido are associated with the effect of ethyl alcohol on the central nervous system. Activation of GABA receptors stimulates brain activity, tissue respiration, promotes glucose utilization, and normalizes blood circulation.

The increased release of dopamine, the pleasure hormone, satisfies the myocardial need for oxygen, increases coronary blood flow and renal filtration.

Long-term alcohol poisoning depresses the central nervous system and subcortical structures. The clinical picture is dominated by feelings of anxiety and fear of death, autonomic disorders, clouding of consciousness, hallucinations and delusions.

After drinking alcohol, patients often complain that their kidneys hurt. An increase in diuresis during prolonged drinking reduces the secretion of antidiuretic hormone and enhances the functions of the renin-angiotensin system.

An increase in hormone levels is responsible for an increase in the contractility of the heart muscle, blood pressure, entails increased excretion of calcium and magnesium in the urine, and weakening of bone and cartilage tissue.

If you drink 160-180 grams of alcohol per day, the hepatotoxic effect of ethanol is noted.

The process is associated with the oxidation of alcohol breakdown products by hepatocytes. By forming hydrogen, acetate inhibits the oxidation of carbohydrates and accumulates fatty acids in the liver, depleting glycol reserves.

With chronic alcoholism, the concentration of uric acid in the biliary system increases, which collects in the joints and blood, causing gout and allergies.

Time to remove alcohol from the body

From 31 to 40% of people who drink alcohol, the next morning after a feast, they note a strong odor from their breath and poor health. A terrible hangover and severe fumes threaten the driver with deprivation of his license if the level of intoxication exceeds 0.16 mg/l.

In order to avoid becoming a pedestrian, you need to know how long it takes for alcohol to disappear from the body.

If you drink 50 ml of vodka, it will take more than an hour to remove the ethanol. To remove 100 ml – 4.5 – 5 hours, 300 ml – 17.5 hours, 0.5 liter – 29 hours.

Wine leaves the body faster. You can get rid of 100 ml of ethyl alcohol after 1 hour 55 minutes, 300 ml - 5 hours 10 minutes, half a liter - 8.5 hours.

Depending on the strength, 100 ml of beer disappears in 35–55 minutes, 300 ml disappears after 2.5 hours, 0.5 liters disappears in up to 4.5 hours.

Champagne in a volume of 100 ml lasts about 1 hour 40 minutes, 300 ml - over 5 hours, 500 ml - up to 8 - 8.5 hours.

Negative consequences of drinking alcohol

The lives of more than 3-3.5 million drinkers annually end in death, of which 350 thousand people are teenagers and young people under 29 years of age. Over 18–20% of the world's population suffers injuries while intoxicated.

It is impossible to drink a lot of alcohol without harm and consequences for your own health and the health of others.

Beer. Natural bitterness accelerates the formation of gastric juice and increases the concentration of hydrochloric acid, which negatively affects the condition of the digestive organs and stimulates the proliferation of the microorganism Helicobacter pylori, a source of gastritis and ulcers. From hop cones to finished product phytoestrogens enter.

Estrogen analogues have a strong feminizing effect on the male body, reduce testosterone levels, and create unfavorable conditions for conception. A visual example of the action of a steroid hormone is a beer belly, fat deposition on the hips, sides, pelvic expansion and enlargement of the mammary glands.

Excessive beer consumption in women leads to bleeding, cyst formation, and infertility. Gynecologists recommend abstaining from foamy drink. In addition, substances in intoxicating alcohol cause rectal cancer, congestive prostatitis and impotence.

Wine, liqueurs, champagne. The process of alcoholic fermentation of grape juice involves sugar, the content of which reaches 60% of the volume of the drink. Calories and carbohydrates in diabetes can cause coma and death.

People prone to allergies should not drink wine. Fruit ingredients and dyes can activate histamine receptors, cause spasm of bronchial smooth muscles and an asthmatic attack, urticaria, and itching.

Sulfur dioxide slows down the breakdown of acetaldehyde and inhibits the flow of oxygen to brain cells, has a strong irritating effect on the nasopharynx, and leads to suffocation.

Vodka, rum, brandy and cognac have the same concentration of ethyl alcohol, which in strong alcohol is about 40%. Components fusel oil, aldehydes and esters typical of rectified ethanol are similar to potent psychoactive substances.

Toxic compounds easily dissolve in liquid biological media, penetrate cells and tissues, and affect all systems of the body. By undergoing biotransformation, they disrupt the acid-base balance, water-salt balance, deprive the body of energy and nutritional sources.

The social consequences of alcohol consumption can be called crimes, which in 60-90% of cases are committed in drunk, 20% of people of working age receive work-related injuries and disability due to a hangover.

About 60% of newborn children of drunk mothers do not live longer than a year or die in the first month. More than 60-80% of marriages break up.

Lowest and highest calorie alcohol

With the problem of obesity and excess weight face 50% drinking men and women. A beer belly, puffiness and curvaceous figures indicate metabolic disorders and sugar consumption.

A table indicating the average calorie content of alcohol will help you quickly lose weight, knowing the exact amount of carbohydrates, kcal, per 100 grams of alcohol:

• liquor. Strawberry cocktail– 87, Mozart – 332;
• whiskey, rum, vodka, gin – 235-250;
• cognac – 175-239;
• port wine – 160-167;
• vermouth – 158;
• wine. Sweet – 100-120, semi-sweet – 88, dry – 64;
• sparkling champagne – 85;
• beer – 29-45.

Taking and combining alcohol with physical activity during a diet is strictly prohibited.

Each gram of pure ethyl alcohol contains 7 kcal, which has no energy value, but 12 kilograms are added annually. The body, in this case, takes the strength to lose weight from own reserves. The result of improper weight loss can be exhaustion and vegetative-vascular disorders.

Why does everyone know that alcohol is harmful, but still drink it?

A tolerant attitude towards alcohol-containing products in 80-90% of cases is characteristic of people with low social status and lack of a stable income. There are other reasons that prompt a person to drink alcohol.

More than 45% of the population drink to gain pleasure and relieve tension and stress. Representatives of mental and physical labor know permissible norm on weekdays and exceed the amount of alcohol on holidays and weekends.

About 60.5% of teenagers under 15 years old start drinking with the permission of their parents.

Children from single-parent families, with a stepmother or stepfather, are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from addiction. Company and weak character have an impact in 18% of cases. Availability is important low alcohol drinks and beer.

Female alcoholism is accompanied by family dysfunction, lack of children or fear of loneliness. Alcohol codependency from a drinking husband is rare.

When not to drink alcohol

From the point of view of doctors, there are no medical indications when alcohol can be prescribed and consumed by patients. The exception is cases of poisoning with methyl alcohol and ethylene glycol. Useful ethanol acts as an effective antidote.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system. Chronic intoxication leads to a decrease in protein synthesis in the heart and myocardium by 15–20%. In alcoholics, disorders are expressed by atherosclerosis, episodes of sinus tachycardia or bradycardia, atrial fibrillation, signs of acute heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

In 1915, a direct relationship was established between arterial hypertension and the amount of alcohol consumed. A single dose of a moderate dose of 70-150 grams increases blood pressure, dilates small capillaries and accelerates the pulse.

As a result, 11% of men and 1-2% of women are diagnosed with hypertension and VSD.

Diseases of the biliary system. The weakening of detoxification and regulatory ability is associated with increased permeability of cellular and intracellular membranes of hepatocytes, acquired degenerative changes, and genetic congenital defects of the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme.

A predisposition to liver cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis occurs in 15% of people who drink 160 grams of ethyl alcohol every day.

Erosive-hemorrhagic lesions and thinning of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, changes in absorption and absorption processes nutrients. Complications include gastritis, pancreatitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Oncology or hereditary predisposition to the development of cancer cells. Scientists from the USA have proven the tumor-forming effect of ethanol. Just 10 grams of alcohol every day enhances the carcinogenic effect of monohydric alcohol and damages healthy cells.

Representatives of the fair sex who give preference wine drinks, are 2 times more likely to suffer from breast cancer.

Oncology is registered in 21.6% of cases with a diagnosis of alcoholism.

Alcohol forms a stable addiction, affecting the human psyche and leading to disruption of neurohumoral and endocrine regulation. Accompanied by a decrease in pain sensitivity, a disorder in temperature regulation and changes in muscle tone.

They are characterized by cerebral and cerebellar degeneration, the formation of foci of cellular necrosis due to a significant increase in calcium levels.

In withdrawal syndrome, a high concentration of NMDA receptors or so-called glycine analogues on the surface of neurons leads to the death of nerve fibers. 1/2 of patients die from hemorrhage.

Respiratory failure is considered to be the provoking factor of death in case of poisoning with alcohol-containing products. Sources of oxygen deficiency are obstructive disease and pulmonary edema, pneumonia, tongue retraction, accumulation of nasopharyngeal mucus, seizures bronchial asthma due to an allergy to alcohol components.

Deterioration of the functions of the urinary system. Electrolyte imbalance has a harmful effect on blood circulation and renal parenchyma. Slowing of urine formation is expressed by uremic intoxication.

Subsequent renal dysfunction is characterized by an increase in diuresis, the release of nitrogen-containing waste, and the development of hypokalemia or hyponatremia.

How does alcohol interact with medications?

The success of conservative treatment of patients involves the appointment of effective drug therapy. Chemical compounds have not only certain pharmacological properties, but also contraindications.

To avoid side effects and exclude the possibility of poisoning the body, experts do not recommend combining alcohol and medications.

Psychotropic, sedatives, antidepressants. The simultaneous use of alcohol and Truxal, Phenozepam increases the pulse rate, increases unnatural arousal and anxiety. Blood pressure rises to critical levels, and vasospasm is observed.

Even harmless Valerian can cause respiratory arrest and death.

Analgesics such as Paracetamol, Panadol, Efferalgan, NSAIDs and Ibuprofen-based medications are not compatible with ethanol. The production of hydroxylated active metabolites contributes to the development of pancreatitis and intoxication. Complications such as end-stage renal failure and nephropathy occur.

Alcohol and antibiotics are contraindicated. Cycloferon, Flemoxin and Ceftriaxone provoke vomiting and diarrhea, allergic reactions, migraines and dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, and tachycardia.

Ethyl alcohol makes taking hepatoprotectors useless. The use of Carsil and Essentiale Forte N tablets is accompanied by abdominal pain and stool upset.

Diuretics, antispasmodics, antihistamines and drugs for hypertension, along with alcohol, sharply lower blood pressure and cause anaphylactic shock, affecting the kidneys. There is a lack of glucose in the blood serum.

You should not drink alcohol after being vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis, influenza, rubella, measles and mumps, and human papillomavirus. Weakening of the immune system under the influence of ethanol and vaccination will affect the biliary system, digestive organs and diagnostic results.

How can you recognize an alcoholic?

The formation of a stable addiction in men takes from 5 to 10 years. Women become drunk 3-5 times faster. It is quite difficult to notice a craving for alcohol in a loved one at an early stage of pathology.

Only experienced narcologists determine characteristic features developing alcoholism.

Initial acquaintance with alcohol-containing products or everyday, hidden drunkenness. A person gets satisfaction from minimum dose ethanol In the company he rarely refuses another portion, he controls the quantity alcohol taken. The next morning he remains cheerful.

The second stage represents a danger to health and social status. Alcohol can be consumed for several days in a row. Withdrawal syndrome increases the desire to drink.

Periodic binges lead to irritability, depression, tremors, hyperemia skin, autonomic and cardiovascular disorders.

About 30% of absenteeism at work is associated with a hangover and ethyl alcohol poisoning.

An indicator of advanced, chronic alcoholism is delirium tremens, apathy and personality degradation. Interests are limited to the search for alcohol. During the last stage of the disease, exhaustion of the body is caused by the irreversible consequences of ethanol intake.

In 50–60% of cases, death occurs from cerebral edema; in 25–30% of people, the cause of death is heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and delirium.

You need to decide how much alcohol you can or cannot drink on your own.

It is worth remembering that only 13-15% of alcoholics find the strength to voluntarily begin treatment. Cope with addiction and get started new life happens in 7% of people.