There are few people who have never drunk alcohol, most drink socially and many even drink daily, within limits and without any problems. However, the response to alcohol is not the same for everyone, even for an equivalent amount , and the more you drink over time, the greater the risk of having problems. Therefore, reserving alcohol for special occasions and, even then, drinking within limits, is the best thing you can do to protect your health. It is well known that excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of various diseases , including many types of cancer, liver, cardiovascular, neurological and psychiatric diseases, and also interferes with personal and professional relationships. But how much is the ideal amount? There is no ideal amount when it comes to drinking alcohol. In the following groups drinking alcohol, regardless of quantity, is always to much: Pregnant and breastfeeding women; Children and adolescents; People with alcohol dependence; People with any illness or taking any medication that contraindicates alcohol consumption. For most healthy adults, there are recommended maximum amounts of alcohol consumption that should not be exceeded, which are: Men 18-64 years: 2 standard drinks or 20 g of pure alcohol per day, not exceeding 14 standard drinks per week Over 65 years old: 1 standard drink or 10 g of pure alcohol per day, not exceeding 7 standard drinks per week Women 1 standard drink or 10 g of pure alcohol per day, not exceeding 7 standard drinks per week Any consumption above those mentioned is considered excessive. What if I drink more, but just once? In a sporadic episode, alcohol consumption should not exceed 40 g (4 standard drinks) in women and 50 g (5 standard drinks) in men. Is binge drinking a sporadic episode? No, binge drinking , also known as excessive episodic consumption, is risky alcohol consumption. It is equivalent to drink 50 g or more (5 standard drinks) for women and 60 g or more (6 standard drinks) for men, within a period of a few hours and, on average, more than twice a month. What is a standard drink? A standard drink is the volume of drink that contains 10 g of alcohol. Since the alcohol content in alcoholic beverages varies, the standard drink is defined based on the fixed amount of pure alcohol of 10 g and not on the volume, as this varies from beverage to beverage. To make things easier and considering the average capacity of the glasses used and the average alcohol content of the drinks: 1 glass of wine (1 glass of 100 mL) is equivalent to a standard drink 1 beer (1 glass of 200 mL) is equivalent to a standard drink 1 distilled spirit (1 glass of 50 mL) is equivalent to two standard drinks How to calculate the amount of alcohol consumed? To find out the amount of pure alcohol that is ingested , multiply the volume of drink ingested (in milliliters) by the alcohol content of the drink and by 0.79, which is the density of the alcohol, and divide the value obtained by 100. Alcohol ingested (g) = volume of drink (mL) x alcohol content of the drink x 0.79 / 100 For example: What is the amount of alcohol ingested (AI) if one drinks 1 can of 50 cL (500 mL) of beer that has an alcohol content of 5.2 degrees (or 5.2%)? AI = 500 x 5.2 x 0.79 / 100 AI = 20.54 g. This is the amount of pure alcohol that will be ingested and is approximately equivalent to two standard drinks. How to calculate the maximum amount you can drink of a beverage? To find out the maximum amount that you can drink of a given beverage , the same formula is used, but fixing the maximum amount of pure alcohol that you can drink and solving for the volume of drink. Alcohol ingested (g) = volume of drink (mL) x alcohol content of the drink x 0.79 / 100 For example: What is the maximum quantity (QM) of wine with an alcohol content of 13% that a 40-year-old man can drink in one day? 20 = QM x 13 x 0.79 / 100 20 = QM x 10.27 / 100 20 x 100 = QM x 10.27 2000 = QM x 10.27 2000 / 10.27 = QM QM = 195 mL. This is the maximum amount of wine with 13% alcohol that can be drunk in one day. Recognize the signs and seek help Seeking medical help is the step that can solve alcohol-related problems. If you think you drink more than is desirable, you need to drink more to get the same effects, you need to drink and have difficulty stopping, you have undesirable symptoms if you don't drink, or you have any other problem or question related to the alcohol, be sure to talk to your doctor. He is the best person to help or guide you to someone anyone who can do so. What's happening in Portugal According to the Serviço de Intervenção nos Comportamentos Aditivos e nas Dependências, indicators related to alcohol consumption worsened between 2017-2022. The average age at which consumption begins has decreased, high-risk consumption and cases of serious drunkenness have increased; Alcohol dependence continued to increase and in 10 years cases almost quadrupled; Women and men of all age groups were affected, but results were most marked: In men Between 15-34 years old for risky consumption Between 35-54 years old for alcohol dependence Between 2020-2022 the following also increased: Treatments initiated for alcohol-related problems, which in 2022reached the highest value in the last 10 years; Alcohol-related hospitalizations, with the highest value in 2022 of the last 5 years; Deaths from diseases related to alcohol and road accidents under the influence of alcohol. Sources: Direção Geral da Saúde. Deteção precoce e intervenção breve no consumo excessivo de álcool no adulto. Norma 030/2012. Serviço de Intervenção nos Comportamentos Aditivos e nas Dependências. A situação do país em matéria de álcool. Relatório anual 2022. Author: Tiago Marques Ribeiro Meet the General and Family Medicine clinical team of the Hospital da Luz network. The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
