DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is it possible to become an alcoholic just by having one or two drinks nightly? I have a glass or two of wine with dinner but never drink to the point of feeling drunk. Should I be concerned?
ANSWER: Occasional beer or wine with dinner, or a drink in the evening, is not a health problem for most people. When drinking becomes a daily activity, though, it may represent progression of your consumption and place you at increased health risks. From your description of your drinking habits, it may be time to take a closer look at how much you drink.
Drinking alcohol in moderation generally is not a cause for concern. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking is considered to be in the moderate or low-risk range for women at no more than three drinks in any one day and no more than seven drinks per week. For men, it is no more than four drinks a day and no more than 14 drinks per week.
Those guidelines are based on standard-size drinks, which contain about 14 grams of pure alcohol. That equals 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, 8 to 9 ounces of malt liquor and 1.5 ounces (one shot) of 80-proof spirits or “hard” liquor.
That said, it’s easy to drink more than a standard drink in one glass. For example, many wine glasses hold far more than 5 ounces. You could easily drink 8 ounces of wine in a glass. If you have two of those glasses during a meal, you are consuming about three standard drinks.
Although not drinking to the point of becoming drunk is a common way people gauge how much they should drink, it can be inaccurate. Researchers who study alcohol abuse find that people with high tolerance to alcohol, who do not feel the effects of alcohol after they drink several alcoholic beverages, are actually at a higher risk for alcohol-related problems.
It’s also important to note that, even though you may not feel the effects of alcohol, you still have the same amount of alcohol in your body as someone who starts to feel intoxicated after one or two drinks. Your lack of response to the alcohol may be related to an increase in your body’s alcohol tolerance over time. Some people are born with high tolerance; many people develop a tolerance with regular drinking.
Drinking more than the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommended limits puts you in the category of “at-risk” drinking. That means you have a higher risk for negative consequences related to your alcohol use, including health and social problems. You are also at higher risk of becoming addicted to alcohol.
Alcohol can damage your body’s organs and lead to various health concerns. For women, this damage happens with lower doses of alcohol, because their bodies have lower water content than men. That’s why the moderate drinking guidelines for women and men are so different.
The specific organ damage that happens with too much alcohol use varies considerably from one person to another. The most common health effects include heart, liver and nerve damage, as well as memory problems and sexual dysfunction.
Unless you notice specific negative consequences related to your drinking, it probably is not necessary for you to quit drinking alcohol entirely. However, I would strongly encourage you to reduce the amount you drink, so it fits within the guidelines of moderate drinking. Doing so can protect your health in the long run. —Dr. Terry Schneekloth, Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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FAQs
ANSWER: Occasional beer or wine with dinner, or a drink in the evening, is not a health problem for most people. When drinking becomes a daily activity, though, it may represent progression of your consumption and place you at increased health risks.
Is drinking 3 beers a day an alcoholic? ›
What is heavy drinking? The patterns below are considered “heavy” drinking,16,17 which markedly increases the likelihood of AUD and other alcohol-related harms: For women—4 or more drinks on any day or 8 or more per week. For men—5 or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week.
What are the daily drinking guidelines? ›
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults who choose to drink do so in moderation – 1 drink or less on a day for women or 2 drinks or less on a day for men.
What does the Mayo Clinic say about drinking alcohol? ›
Drinking alcohol is a health risk regardless of the amount. Research on alcohol suggests a sobering conclusion: Drinking alcohol in any amount carries a health risk. While the risk is low for moderate intake, the risk goes up as the amount you drink goes up.
Will 6 beers a day cause liver damage? ›
Any amount of alcohol can cause liver damage. Drinking more than two drinks per day consistently increases your risk of liver disease. However, the degree of liver damage varies greatly between individuals and there is no “safe” amount of alcohol to drink that cannot potentially cause liver disease.
What happens to your body when you drink alcohol every day? ›
Long-Term Health Risks. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
Is 3 beers a day bad for liver? ›
For patients without liver disease:
Higher-risk drinking is three or more drinks per day for men and two or more drinks for women.
How bad is 4 beers a day? ›
Research suggests drinking more than 30 grams of alcohol — found in two to three 12-ounce or 355-mL bottles of beer — daily can raise your risk of liver diseases like cirrhosis, a condition characterized by scarring ( 21 , 22 ).
Is 2 beers a day bad? ›
The authors of the study found that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol often can cause the volumes of white and gray matter to shrink in the brain. More importantly, they found that just drinking two beers each day could cause damage similar to 10 years of aging.
What is considered a long-term drinker? ›
But it's a different story if you regularly drink heavily. For most men, that's defined as more than 4 drinks a day, or 14 or 15 in a week. For women, heavy drinking is more than 3 drinks in a day, or 7 or 8 per week. Too much alcohol can harm you physically and mentally in lots of ways.
Drinking too much alcohol over a long time can: Lead to some kinds of cancer, liver damage, immune system disorders, and brain damage. Worsen some health conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, memory loss, and mood disorders.
Can doctors tell if you drink alcohol? ›
In general, a blood test can measure alcohol in your body for up to 6 hours after your last drink, while breathalyser tests work for between 12 and 24 hours. Urine tests, such as the ethyl glucuronide (EtG) test, are also effective for around 12 to 24 hours after use.
How many beers a day is alcoholic? ›
Heavy Alcohol Use:
For men, consuming five or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week. For women, consuming four or more on any day or 8 or more drinks per week.
What's the worst alcohol for your liver? ›
Myth 3: Drinking hard liquor is worse than drinking beer or wine. Contrary to popular belief, the type of alcohol you drink doesn't make a difference – what matters is how much you drink. "The safe limit is fixed at 14 units a week," explains Dr Lui. "Below this limit, alcoholic fatty liver is less likely to occur.
What are the first signs your liver is struggling? ›
If there are symptoms of liver disease, they may include:
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, called jaundice. ...
- Belly pain and swelling.
- Swelling in the legs and ankles.
- Itchy skin.
- Dark urine.
- Pale stool.
- Constant tiredness.
- Nausea or vomiting.
With any alcohol consumption, the risk for liver cirrhosis increased exponentially among women; among men, the risk increased beyond consumption of 1 drink or more per day. Drinking daily and outside of meals increases the risk for liver cirrhosis at any given level of overall alcohol intake.
Is it normal to have 3 beers a day? ›
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking is considered to be in the moderate or low-risk range for women at no more than three drinks in any one day and no more than seven drinks per week. For men, it is no more than four drinks a day and no more than 14 drinks per week.
What happens if I drink three beers a day? ›
Research suggests drinking more than 30 grams of alcohol — found in two to three 12-ounce or 355-mL bottles of beer — daily can raise your risk of liver diseases like cirrhosis, a condition characterized by scarring ( 21 , 22 ). Weight gain.
Is 3 beers a night excessive? ›
If you're a healthy adult: To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.
How many beers per day is alcoholic? ›
Heavy Alcohol Use:
For men, consuming five or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week. For women, consuming four or more on any day or 8 or more drinks per week.
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is it possible to become an alcoholic just by having one or two drinks nightly? I have a glass or two of wine with dinner but never drink to the point of feeling drunk. Should I be concerned?
