How much is too much?

[Stan42]

According to my internet research:

1 standard drink is defined as roughly 500ml of beer (5%). 2 standard drinks (usually red wine) are recommended to keep the circulatory system running.

I drink 1.5l of 6% daily. Is this too much? Or is it within the safety limit?

[Ghostnigel]

Nah mate, if you want it, have it....its only like 3 beers, just go cold turkey 1 day a year, should be fine!!

[impulse]

If it's causing problems in my life, I have a drinking problem. Full stop.

Or I can justify continuing on a self destructive path because someone on the interweb says I'm within safe limits.

I know which way I went...

[Don Mega]

Where did you research to find 500ml of 5% beer is the equal of 1 standard drink ?

Everywhere I look that 500ml of 5% beer would be 1.8 standard drinks.

Personally I do not feel 3 big cans of Chang per day to be excessive unless it is having a negative effect on your health/life.

[gerryBScot]

Your question highlights the absurdity of 'norms'. These are simply benchmarks which take absolutely no account of individual circumstances. For some the amount of daily alcohol intake you refer to may be 'safe' for others it may not be. Depends on a whole range of other factors. The question really is: do you control alcohol or does it control you? After almost 30 years of 'experimentation' I decided it controlled me and have now been free of it for twelve years. Happy to be sober this morning and able to function without a nonsensical debate going on in my head about whether I have a drink problem. The solution, if the answer was yes as in my case, is astonishingly simple.

[NickJ]

What I see here is that there are so many guys that drink everyday and that they are at a fairly younger age than they would be back in the west doing this. Doing it due to boredom. Some people it ruins there lives

others just quit or slow down. Everyone is diffrent.

[Stan42]

Ok, so...

1. It's not really having any health effects on me (so far). I don't even get hangovers.

2. I strictly drink after 8pm, so it's not having an impact at all on my daily/social/etc. life.

3. When I was in hospital I didn't have a drink for a whole week and there weren't any negative effects apart from having some trouble to sleep.

I asked this question because when my Thai doctor asked me he replied "that's way too much".

[impulse]

Ok, so...

1. It's not really having any health effects on me (so far). I don't even get hangovers.

2. I strictly drink after 8pm, so it's not having an impact at all on my daily/social/etc. life.

3. When I was in hospital I didn't have a drink for a whole week and there weren't any negative effects apart from having some trouble to sleep.

I asked this question because when my Thai doctor asked me he replied "that's way too much".

If it's not causing problems for you, enjoy!

Edit: You'll get hundreds of different opinions from just about everyone you ask, doctors included. You're the one who has to decide if it's causing you problems. I'd certainly suggest you not neglect the need for kidney and liver function tests. But that's not specific to alcohol- just good health practice, especially here and now where environmental toxins are so prevalent (and if you're concerned about the long term health effects of any of your habits).

[h90]

Your question highlights the absurdity of 'norms'. These are simply benchmarks which take absolutely no account of individual circumstances. For some the amount of daily alcohol intake you refer to may be 'safe' for others it may not be. Depends on a whole range of other factors. The question really is: do you control alcohol or does it control you? After almost 30 years of 'experimentation' I decided it controlled me and have now been free of it for twelve years. Happy to be sober this morning and able to function without a nonsensical debate going on in my head about whether I have a drink problem. The solution, if the answer was yes as in my case, is astonishingly simple.

yes....there are people who are complete drunk every evening from age of 15 till they die with 95. And have a successful life. A bottle whiskey per day was a safe amount for them.

Others have bad liver values from drinking 2 beers per day. Or freak out.

[NickJ]

My Dr said the same thing to me. After my blood tests came back and all my liver enzymes were way within normal limits he said I was a very lucky man. I told him I would bring him a turban on our next visit.

[Auke]

There has never been any real research on what is good for You in terms of how much alcohol You can take in on a daily basis. There has only been made a guess by advising panels. The two glasses a day probably stems from regulations by governments about a legal limit to drive a vehicle. if You never drink anything, two glasses would be to much to drive safely; if You daily drink 8 glasses, the two glass limit is too low. But how can a government make those differences in a law??

[thrilled]

I have never ever in my life drank 2 days .1 after the other.I believe the last time I drank anything was 1+1/2 years ago.

My friends are the same.They might drink A beer now ant then but that's all.

So when I read on forums people during every day,is that supposed to be the norm?

[adammike]

Ok, so...

1. It's not really having any health effects on me (so far). I don't even get hangovers.

2. I strictly drink after 8pm, so it's not having an impact at all on my daily/social/etc. life.

3. When I was in hospital I didn't have a drink for a whole week and there weren't any negative effects apart from having some trouble to sleep.

I asked this question because when my Thai doctor asked me he replied "that's way too much".

Whatever you tell your doctor you drink/ smoke each day he will double,

Just so you know.

[faraday]

Denial is not a river in Africa............

[h90]

My Dr said the same thing to me. After my blood tests came back and all my liver enzymes were way within normal limits he said I was a very lucky man. I told him I would bring him a turban on our next visit.

There is this story of a worker at the University hospital in Austria. The Prof. sees the worker every day drinking at least 20 beer (0.5 liter each) and working. He asked the man if he can have a blood sample.

Ending in a complete check with all body functions just perfect...What further happened, I don't know because I left the girlfriend who was connected with these people.

[impulse]

My Dr said the same thing to me. After my blood tests came back and all my liver enzymes were way within normal limits he said I was a very lucky man. I told him I would bring him a turban on our next visit.

There is this story of a worker at the University hospital in Austria. The Prof. sees the worker every day drinking at least 20 beer (0.5 liter each) and working. He asked the man if he can have a blood sample.

Ending in a complete check with all body functions just perfect...What further happened, I don't know because I left the girlfriend who was connected with these people.

I'm not doubting the veracity of the story. People react to alcohol and other poisons (yes, alcohol is a poison) differently. Some guys can eat ground glass and not show any ill effects, too.

But I've met hundreds of people who quoted such anecdotes and "rules of thumb" to justify internally that they didn't have a problem- as their entire lives and careers and families crumbed around them.

My favorite AA dark humor story is about the wife of a guy who has just died of alcoholic cirrhosis. At the funeral, someone asks her if he ever tried AA. Her answer: "He didn't drink THAT much."

[samuibeachcomber]

Ok, so...

1. It's not really having any health effects on me (so far). I don't even get hangovers.

2. I strictly drink after 8pm, so it's not having an impact at all on my daily/social/etc. life.

3. When I was in hospital I didn't have a drink for a whole week and there weren't any negative effects apart from having some trouble to sleep.

I asked this question because when my Thai doctor asked me he replied "that's way too much".

you worry too much,be careful stress does n't get you first

[lostoday]

There has never been any real research on what is good for You in terms of how much alcohol You can take in on a daily basis. There has only been made a guess by advising panels. The two glasses a day probably stems from regulations by governments about a legal limit to drive a vehicle. if You never drink anything, two glasses would be to much to drive safely; if You daily drink 8 glasses, the two glass limit is too low. But how can a government make those differences in a law??

What? It is one of the most researched areas in science. Sitting bar stool research may not be as conclusive. Or maybe you mean Dr. of Pubology?

[ding]

Here, the blood alcohol level (BAL) is .08%

By safety limit - do you mean for driving or for general health?

I've read that 1 glass of red wine has health benefits which outweight the inflamation caused by ethyl alcohol. But I can't imagine how valid that is, as alcohol is an irritant to so many organs and tissues.

But I'll leave that to the MD's and PHD's to determine...

I'm alcoholic so it's a moot point in my personal case. I'll drink none at all even if it turns me into Brad Pitt.

[Don Mega]

Here, the blood alcohol level (BAL) is .08%

By safety limit - do you mean for driving or for general health?

Here in Thailand the limit is 0.05%

[ronz28]

More than 2 normal mixed drinks (no aspartame just sodium bicarbonate mixers to taste with lemon/lime, etc.) is too much to drink. Beer (its the hops that does it) depletes testosterone, so avoid. JMHO.