Drinking in moderation is key
| Health tips: Be thoughtful about alcohol | | | Dear Reader,
A good, long life is full of moments, both big and small, that we recognize and celebrate — a new year, a much-anticipated wedding, the end of a long work week. For thousands of years, all around the world, people have marked these moments by raising a glass and sharing a drink.
If you’re a healthy adult and you’re going to drink, it’s recommended that you drink in moderation. Drinking in moderation is associated with a relatively low risk for alcohol problems. For a healthy adult woman, moderation generally means no more than one drink a day and fewer than seven drinks in a week. For healthy adult men, guidelines recommend drinking no more than two drinks a day and fewer than 14 drinks a week. |
Drinking more than the moderate drinking guidelines, however, can be harmful. And for some people, there’s no safe level of alcohol use. For example, check with your doctor before drinking if: You’re taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medicines that may interact with alcohol. You’ve been diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol addiction, or you have a strong family history of alcoholism. You’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant. You’ve had a hemorrhagic stroke (when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures). You have liver or pancreatic disease. You’ve had certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer. You have heart failure or you’ve been told you have a weak heart. If you’re concerned that you may be drinking too much, try cutting back to only one drink a day for a month — if you have trouble staying at that level, you likely have a problem and should seek help. |
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Go from living to thriving
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