How Much Alcohol is Too Much?
A drink or two with friends, a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after a long day — it's a common way to relax and socialize. But how much is too much? Dr. Hannah Hildahl, UnityPoint Health, helps us navigate the line between enjoying a drink and risking your health.
How Much Alcohol is Too Much?
In January 2023, the World Health Organization indicated no amount of alcohol is safe to drink.
“Alcohol leads to consequences associated with your health no matter how much you drink,” Dr. Hildahl says. “Even with low-risk drinking, it can increase your risk of certain cancers.”
Instead, alcohol is better categorized as low-risk drinking, high-risk drinking and alcohol use disorder.
Someone who drinks a low to moderate amount has fewer health risks than someone who drinks heavily or binge drinks. Dietary Guidelines recommend the following drink limits:
Low-Risk to Moderate Drinking
- Women: Less than one drink per day, no more than seven drinks in a week
- Men: Less than two drinks per day, no more than 14 drinks per week
- Adults Age 65 and Over: No more than one drink per day, no more than seven drinks per week
High-Risk Drinking
- Women: Four drinks per day or more than eight drinks per week
- Men: Five drinks per day or more than 15 drinks per week
What happens when you have multiple alcoholic drinks daily?
“This is when we start to see more significant health problems from drinking too much,” Dr. Hildahl says.
Keep in mind, the standard for beer is 12 ounces and contains 5% alcohol by volume, shown as ABV on the container. For wine, it’s 5 ounces and 12% ABV. Distilled spirits, like a shot, are 1.5 ounces and 40% ABV.
It’s easy to unintentionally drink more than the recommended limit, especially if your favorite beer, wine or cocktail is higher than standard ABV, and you have a hefty pour.
What’s Considered Binge Drinking?
The definition of binge drinking is having more than four standard drinks in two hours for women and more than five drinks in the same timeframe for men.
“Along with that, binge drinking includes having a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08 in two hours or less,” Dr. Hildahl says.
For context, 0.08 is the blood alcohol content limit for driving in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
“This definition is included, because the rate alcohol is eliminated from the body is affected by many factors, like age, gender, rate of consumption and presence of food — not just the number of drinks.”
How to Know if You Have Alcohol Use Disorder
About one in four Americans have unhealthy alcohol patterns.
“'Unhealthy alcohol patterns’ refers to drinking any amount of alcohol that can cause harm or already caused harm to an individual,” Dr. Hildahl says.
This is not the same as alcohol use disorder, also known as alcoholism. Unlike alcohol use disorder, the amount you drink matters less than how it affects your life negatively.
Am I An Alcoholic?
If you meet at least two of the following criteria within a 12-month period, you may have alcohol use disorder:
- You’ve built a tolerance that leads to drinking more, even if that’s not your intention.
- You want to cut back on drinking, but you can’t.
- You’ve lost control over how much you drink.
- Too much of your time is spent finding ways to buy alcohol, drink it or recover from it.
- You’re intentionally drinking more over longer periods.
- Your alcohol cravings have increased.
- The urge to drink is causing you to fail in major obligations at home, work or school.
- You keep drinking despite problematic social interactions it causes with friends, family or strangers.
- You give up on important social, work or recreational activities because of alcohol.
- You keep drinking in situations where you put yourself and others at physical risk.
- You drink despite having mental or physical health issues that alcohol makes worse.
- You experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking.
The importance of the criteria is there’s no amount of alcohol associated with alcohol use disorder. Instead, it focuses on how alcohol affects your overall well-being physiologically, psychologically, socially and in your everyday life,” Dr. Hildahl says.
The next time you reach for a drink, remember moderation is key. If you're concerned about your drinking habits, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor. They can provide guidance and support, such as substance use resources, to help you make healthier choices.