Alcoholic beverages are suitable in small quantities. This will be confirmed by any medical professional. The restriction is related to the negative impact of ethanol on organ systems. Many understand the seriousness of the problem and are aware of the severity of the consequences of alcohol abuse, so they are interested in how much will be considered acceptable or, on the contrary, harmless.
Benefits of alcohol
There is an opinion that in reasonable doses alcohol is good for health, so drinking it is not prohibited. The beneficial effect on the circulatory system is most often mentioned. So, ethyl alcohol - the main component of an alcoholic drink - helps dissolve cholesterol plaques that form on the inner walls of blood vessels. Their presence indicates a disease such as atherosclerosis. The disease often develops in violation of the diet and the use of large amounts of animal fat, which tend to turn into "bad" cholesterol or low-density triglycerides. These compounds clog the lumen of the arteries, preventing the free flow of blood.
Another valuable quality of alcoholic beverages is the ability to quickly relax and relieve stress. Even a small dose of strong drink will cheer you up and improve your emotional state. This is due to an increase in the concentration of hormones of happiness and pleasure.
Of course, all valuable qualities will be manifested when drinking high-quality alcohol, so the choice of alcohol should be carefully considered. The type of product also plays a role. So, the maximum benefit is dry wine or cognac. These strong drinks contain bioflavonoids, vitamins and antioxidants.
It turns out that alcohol can actually be beneficial if used wisely. There are many nuances that help make drinking alcohol safe.
Is it possible to drink without harm to health?
Doctors are convinced that it is impossible to exclude the negative impact of alcohol on the body, but it is realistic to minimize the negative impact. There are several ways, but the best effect is observed with their complex use.
- Dose reduction. If a person takes a lot of alcohol at once, it will not be possible to avoid deterioration of health. The safest option is to drink in moderation.
- Rare use. Those who drink every day or even twice a week suffer from chronic diseases related to alcohol abuse. Therefore, it is better to consume as few strong drinks as possible.
- Having just one drink. The combination of alcohol options is detrimental to the nervous system. In addition, in this case, it will not be possible to avoid a severe hangover. It is worth choosing one specific drink for yourself and not getting carried away by mixing different ones.
- Correct selection of food. You can't drink alcohol and not have a snack, even if we're talking about light beer. Food rich in protein and fat will protect the body from too fast absorption of ethanol into the blood, and will also create a barrier that protects the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract from alcohol, which is an aggressive substance.
By following these simple rules, the negative effects of alcohol on the body are minimized, which will certainly have a positive effect on health.
What affects the determination of a safe dose
As such, absolutely safe doses of alcohol do not exist. Alcohol, even in minimal quantities, is harmful to health, so if you can refuse strong drinks, then it is better to use it.
Usually, celebrations and holidays rarely pass without alcohol, so everyone drinks. To protect yourself from irreparable consequences, you should carefully monitor the amount of alcohol already taken and how you feel.
There are no universal numbers showing how much you can drink without harming the body. It is necessary to pay attention to various parameters that affect this:
- gender. Women get drunk faster than men, so the dose for them should be reduced.
- The weight. The lower the body weight, the faster the state of intoxication will occur.
- metabolic rate. It is important that the alcohol is processed by the body and removed from it as quickly as possible. If the metabolic processes take place intensively, then there will be no problems with neutralizing alcohol. It is an innate trait that cannot be changed.
- Liver condition. This gland takes the main burden of removing all incoming toxins from the body, including alcohol and decay products. If the liver tissue is already damaged, then the alcohol neutralization processes will proceed slowly. And if so, then one should reduce the amount of alcohol consumed.
- Food. A little more alcohol can be afforded by those who, along with drinking alcohol, eat protein-rich food. It is: fish, meat or poultry. Fats, such as vegetable oils, are also useful.
- Additional training. There are many ways to prepare for an event. Some work so effectively that they allow you to consume a little more strong drinks. So, two hours before the holiday, it is recommended to take a sorbent and a preparation with a high content of organic acids.
Based on these parameters, it can be concluded that the safe dose of alcohol will be different for each person. Experts give only average data, which should be adapted for yourself.
safe dose of alcohol
A harmless dose of alcohol is the amount that the body processes quickly and without consequences. To determine it, you must first calculate the toxicity threshold, that is, the volume of pure ethanol that the liver can successfully handle. 
This is 90 grams if we are talking about a man weighing 70 kg. A representative of the stronger sex weighing about 100 kg can drink a little more than ½ cup of a strong alcoholic drink - vodka or cognac.
It should be noted that the threshold of toxicity for the brain is much lower and amounts to 19 grams of pure ethanol, which is about 60 ml of vodka. Neurons and the connections between them are sensitive structures that, under the influence of negative factors, including ethyl alcohol, begin to disintegrate. When calculating a safe dose, consideration should be given to the brain toxicity threshold.
How much can you drink to avoid a hangover?
Most often people ask this question. Citizens are more concerned with how they feel the next day than with the destruction of the body, which is imperceptible in the early stages.
Doctors give average data according to which a person can take up to 1. 5 ml of pure ethyl alcohol per kilogram of body weight. This figure is for men, women are advised to reduce the amount slightly.
So, in order not to suffer from a hangover, a man weighing 70 kg should stop if he has already drunk 262 ml of vodka. It is assumed that this drink was consumed in a short period of time and entered the body almost in one serving. If this amount is drunk gradually throughout the evening, then the liver, already engaged in work, manages to neutralize part of the toxins. In this case, the volume of alcohol can be increased by about a third. These are just numerical parameters that are universal for all people.
In fact, even a smaller amount of alcohol can cause acute intoxication and a severe hangover. For this reason, you should focus primarily on personal feelings.
So, with the appearance of severe dizziness, migraine, darkening of the eyes, heart rhythm disorders, you should immediately stop drinking alcohol. These are typical signs of taking on too much volume. It is better to take measures to cleanse the body of alcohol.
The following are considered effective:
- gastric lavage;
- intake of enterosorbents;
- taking supplements with organic acids;
- copious drink;
- moderate physical activity;
- a walk in the fresh air;
- a dream.
According to doctors, a hangover develops with the use of reasonable doses of alcohol. It most often appears after drinking beer, champagne, cocktails, wine. Strong drinks, taken according to all the rules, rarely provoke a deterioration in well-being.
After drinking carbonated drinks, a hangover occurs, as the bubbles contribute to instant intoxication due to irritation of the mucous membranes and rapid absorption into the blood. Cocktails are dangerous because several types of alcoholic products are mixed during production, and wines often contain civet oils, which become the main cause of headaches.
The maximum dose of alcohol
Doctors take into account not only the dose that is safe for health, but also the maximum volume, drinking more than which is strongly discouraged. This is the amount that the body cannot handle in one day. As a rule, full recovery takes more than a week.
Doctors believe that the maximum volume is 170 grams of pure alcohol per day. This is 538 ml of vodka - one bottle. There will be no serious negative consequences when using such a dose if a person refuses alcohol for another 8-9 days, but it is better to increase this interval by a month to allow the organs to rest and the tissues to regenerate.
The use of a maximum dose of alcohol leads to a severe hangover, which will be accompanied by symptoms such as:
- headache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- bloating;
- heartburn;
- thirst;
- bad breath;
- swelling;
- hand tremors;
- chills;
- weakness.
These are external manifestations that become obvious the next morning, when ethyl alcohol is processed into toxic acetaldehyde. In fact, there is a deeper damage to the body.
Consequences of taking extreme doses
Alcohol has a detrimental effect on all structures, including the heart, brain, liver and pancreas. With systematic use of even reasonable amounts, cells die, which is why organs stop functioning normally. As a result, chronic diseases develop, sometimes worrying throughout life.
An even greater danger of alcohol abuse is the formation of dependence. At first, a person feels a psychological desire, it seems to him that without alcohol he will no longer be able to relax and communicate calmly with other people. Such patients do not recognize the addiction itself and believe that they can give up alcohol at any time.
When they try to quit, addicts realize there is a problem. Without ethyl alcohol, the hormonal balance is disrupted, to which the body reacts with a withdrawal syndrome similar to a severe hangover. This is a sign of the transition of addiction to the physical stage. The alcoholic himself needs medical and psychological help. He will not be able to give up the addiction on his own.
In addition, in the absence of measures for therapy, addiction passes to the third, final stage, which is called encephalopathic. At this stage, there is a global destruction of brain cells, which leads to irreversible changes in the human psyche. As a person, the alcoholic quickly degrades, loses his memory and can no longer boast of intellectual abilities.
The risk of developing addiction makes it possible to equate alcohol with drugs. This means that the use of alcohol should be handled carefully. Rare holidays with high-quality alcohol will not cause significant harm and will give the body a chance to recover. If alcohol is drunk often and in large quantities, then health problems cannot be avoided.