Alcoholic beverages are suitable in small quantities. This will be confirmed by any medical professional. Restriction is associated with the negative effect of ethanol on organ systems. Many understand the seriousness of the issue 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 alcohol in reasonable doses is beneficial to health, so drinking is not prohibited. The beneficial effect on the circulatory system is most noted. Thus, ethyl alcohol - the main component of alcoholic beverages - helps to dissolve cholesterol plaques formed on the inner walls of blood vessels. Their presence indicates a disease such as atherosclerosis. The disease often develops with diet and the use of large amounts of animal fats, which tend to turn into "bad" cholesterol or low-density triglycerides. These compounds close the lumen of the vessels, 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 the increase in the concentration of hormones of happiness and pleasure.
Of course, when drinking high-quality alcohol, all valuable qualities will manifest themselves, 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 brandy. These powerful 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 alcohol safe.
Is it possible to drink without harm to health?
Doctors are sure that it is impossible to rule out the negative effects of alcohol on the body, but it is realistic to minimize the negative effects. There are several ways, but the best effect is observed with their complex use.
- Dose reduction. If a person drinks a lot of alcohol at once, it will be impossible to avoid the deterioration of his health. The safest option is to drink in moderation.
- Rare use. Those who drink every day, even twice a week, suffer from chronic diseases related to alcohol abuse. Therefore, it is better to use strong drinks as little as possible.
- Just have one drink. The combination of alcohol choices damages the nervous system. In addition, in this case, it will not be possible to avoid a severe hangover. It is worth choosing a special drink for yourself and do not hesitate to mix different drinks.
- The right choice of food. Even if we are talking about light beer, you cannot drink alcohol and eat snacks. Foods rich in protein and fats will protect the body from too fast absorption of ethanol into the blood, and also create a barrier that protects the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract from the aggressive substance alcohol.
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
Thus, there are no completely safe doses of alcohol. Alcohol, even in a minimal amount, is harmful to health, so if you can refuse strong drinks, it is better to use it.
Usually, parties and parties are rarely without alcohol, so everyone drinks. To protect yourself from irreparable consequences, you should carefully monitor the amount of alcohol consumed and how you feel.
There are no universal numbers that indicate 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 should be reduced for them.
- Weight. The lower the body weight, the faster the state of intoxication will occur.
- metabolic rate. It is important that alcohol is processed by the body and removed from it as quickly as possible. If metabolic processes continue intensively, there will be no problem with alcohol detoxification. It is an innate characteristic that cannot be changed.
- Liver condition. This gland assumes the main burden of removing all toxins that enter the body, including alcohol and decay products. If the liver tissue is already damaged, alcohol detoxification processes will proceed slowly. And if so, then a person should reduce the amount of alcohol he consumes.
- Food. In parallel with alcohol, those who consume protein-rich food may consume a little more alcohol. This: fish, meat or poultry. Fats like vegetable oils are also beneficial.
- Additional training. There are many ways to prepare for an event. Some work so effectively that they allow you to drink slightly stronger drinks. So, two hours before the holiday, it is recommended to take a preparation with a sorbent and a high content of organic acid.
Based on these parameters, it can be concluded that the safe dose of alcohol will be different for each person. Experts only give average information that should be adjusted for themselves.
safe dose of alcohol
The harmless dose of alcohol is the amount that the body processes quickly and ineffectively. To determine this, you must first calculate the toxicity threshold, that is, the volume of pure ethanol that the liver can successfully handle. 
If we are talking about a man weighing 70 kg, this is 90 grams. A little more than ½ cup of strong alcohol - vodka or cognac - can be drunk by a member of the stronger sex weighing about 100 kg.
Interestingly, the threshold of toxicity for the brain is much lower and is 19 grams of pure ethanol, which is about 60 ml of vodka. Neurons and the connections between them are sensitive structures that begin to collapse under the influence of negative factors, including ethyl alcohol. When calculating a safe dose, the threshold of brain toxicity should be taken into account.
How much can you drink to avoid a hangover?
People often ask this question. Citizens are more interested in how they will feel tomorrow, not the destruction of the body, which is not felt at the initial stage.
Doctors report on average, so 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 is consumed in a short time and enters the body almost in one serving. If this amount was gradually drunk during the evening, then the already working liver is able to neutralize some toxins. In this case, the volume of alcohol can be increased by about a third. These are only digital parameters that are universal for all people.
In fact, even smaller amounts of alcohol can cause acute intoxication and severe hangovers. For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention to personal feelings first.
So, with severe dizziness, migraine, darkening of the eyes, heart rhythm disturbances, you should immediately stop drinking alcohol. These are typical signs of taking too much volume. It is better to take measures to cleanse the body of alcohol.
The following are considered effective:
- gastric lavage;
- reception of enterosorbents;
- taking supplements with organic acids;
- plenty of drink;
- moderate physical activity;
- walk in the fresh air;
- sleep
According to doctors, a hangover develops with the use of alcohol in reasonable doses. It often happens after drinking beer, champagne, cocktails, wine. Strong drinks taken in accordance with all the rules rarely lead to deterioration of well-being.
A hangover occurs after drinking carbonated drinks, because 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 fusel oils, which are the main cause of headaches.
The maximum dose of alcohol
Doctors consider not only a dose that is safe for health, but also the maximum limit, drinking more is highly recommended. This is the amount that the body cannot handle in one day. As a rule, full recovery takes more than a week.
Doctors consider the maximum volume of pure alcohol to be 170 grams per day. This is 538 ml of vodka - one bottle. If a person abstains from alcohol for another 8-9 days, there will be no serious negative consequences when using such a dose, but it is better to increase this interval by one month to allow the organs to rest and tissues to regenerate.
The use of the maximum dose of alcohol causes a severe hangover accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Headache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- swelling;
- heartburn;
- thirst;
- bad breath;
- edema;
- hand tremors;
- trembling;
- weakness.
These are external manifestations that are evident in the morning when ethyl alcohol turns into toxic acetaldehyde. In fact, there is a deeper damage to the body.
Consequences of overdose
Alcohol has harmful effects on all structures, including the heart, brain, liver and pancreas. Even with the systematic use of reasonable amounts, cells die, so organs stop functioning normally. As a result, chronic diseases develop, sometimes disturbing throughout life.
A greater danger of alcohol abuse is the formation of dependence. At first, a person experiences psychological cravings, it seems to him that without alcohol he will no longer be able to relax and comfortably communicate with other people. Such patients do not recognize addiction itself and believe that they can give up alcohol at any time.
When addicts try to quit, they realize they have a problem. Without ethyl alcohol, the hormonal balance is disturbed, so the body reacts with an abstinence syndrome similar to a severe hangover. This is a sign of the transition of addiction to the physical stage. Alcoholics themselves need medical and psychological help. He will not be able to get rid of addiction on his own.
In addition, in the absence of therapeutic measures, addiction moves to the third, final stage, which is called encephalopathy. At this stage, the global destruction of brain cells occurs, which causes irreversible changes in the human psyche. As an alcoholic, he quickly deteriorates, loses his memory and can no longer boast of his intellectual abilities.
The risk of developing addiction makes it possible to identify alcohol with drugs. This means that the use of alcohol should be approached carefully. Rare parties 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, health problems cannot be avoided.