| How much Alcohol is too much? |
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The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) published 10 recommendations for cancer prevention in November 2007.
The report took six years to produce and looked at all available research on cancer prevention. An initial 500,000 studies were screened down to 22,000, and then down to just 7,000 that met the rigorous standards for inclusion in the report.
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| This literature review process was carried out by nine independent universities, which then presented the information to a panel of 21 world-renowned experts who reviewed the comprehensive collection of evidence. They drew conclusions and made recommendations. | | | One of those recommendations was in relation to alcohol consumption. It stated:
“If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day. Any alcohol consumption can increase your risk of cancer, though there is some evidence to suggest that small amounts of alcohol can help protect against heart disease. Therefore, if you choose to drink, do so in moderation.”
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| In light of this advice, let’s take a look at some of your questions surrounding alcohol consumption in Ireland and how it may be affecting our health. |
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| Is it better to have food with alcohol? |
 | Drinking moderately with food slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed, which lessens its effect and reduces drunkenness. |
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| In Italy, 51 per cent of people only drink alcohol when they are eating. In Ireland, only a very small percentage of us drink when they are eating. |
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| Drinking on an empty stomach will lead to an almost instant rise in blood alcohol and you will, as a consequence, rapidly be aware of its effects. |
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| What is the calorie content of alcohol? |
| Alcohol itself is high in calories. In fact, it is second only to fat in terms of calorific content per gram. It gives us 7 calories per gram (fat = 9 calories per gram, protein & carbs = 4 cals per gram). |
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| A 125 ml glass of white wine contains 95 - 100 calories. |
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| A 125 ml glass of red wine contains approximately 85 calories. |
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| Depending on the flavour, a bottle of alcopop can have anything from 100 – 220 calories! (Diet versions have about 100 calories). |
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| A 35 ml measure of gin has about 85 calories. |
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| A 35 ml measure of vodka has about 77 calories. |
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| Does alcohol affect men and women differently? |
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As soon as we have a drink our bodies get to work to break down the alcohol and get it out of our bodies as quickly as possible. About 90 to 98 per cent of it is broken down by a group of six enzymes, known collectively as alcohol dehydrogenase. These enzymes are present in small amounts in our stomachs and in larger amounts in our livers. Very small amounts of alcohol are lost in our urine about 40 minutes after we start drinking and tiny amounts exit our bodies in sweat and tears.
Women have less alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomachs than men, which is part of the reason why they feel the affects of alcohol more rapidly. But this is only part of the explanation. Women also have more fat and less water in their bodies and so alcohol is less diluted in their systems. All in all, this means that it is physiologically impossible for females to keep up with ‘the lads’.
It is thought that, on average, a healthy person can metabolise just under a unit of alcohol an hour, although this varies a lot depending on sex and size, ethnic group and how regularly and how much you drink, not to mention whether you are taking certain medications. A big guy who drinks every day may make more alcohol dehydrogenase since the production of these enzymes can be induced the more you drink. He, therefore, may be capable of clearing alcohol at a rate of almost three times this, three units an hour, although this won’t help with the pressure his liver is put under. Small women who drink infrequently could take two hours to metabolise just one unit.
Research also shows that when you are tired, one drink can act like two. Hormonal changes experienced by women pre-menstrually have a similar effect.
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| How can ethnic group affect tolerance to alcohol? |
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| Approximately half of people of Asian descent are considered to be sensitive to alcohol due to reduced alcohol dehydrogenase activity so their bodies are less efficient at breaking down alcohol. This leads to a reaction similar to an allergy when they drink alcohol with symptoms including flushing of the face, dizziness, nausea, headaches, an increased pulse, occasional extreme drowsiness, and occasional skin swelling and itchiness. |
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| Isn’t there evidence to suggest that alcohol can actually benefit our health? |
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There is evidence that moderate drinkers (those who have 1 or 2 drinks per day) have less incidence of heart disease than people who don’t drink at all. They may also live longer, with less risk of Alzheimer’s, impaired cognitive function and cancer. These benefits appear to be linked partly with polyphenolic phytochemicals found in alcohol particularly flavonoids such as resveratrol in red wine.
Most experts agree that red wine is probably the “healthiest” alcoholic drink to take because of the concentration and type of polyphenols in the grape skins.
Alcohol alters the clotting mechanism by decreasing platelet stickiness, and has a useful effect on the amount of fibrogen and fibrinolysis in the arteries.
However, these effects are negated through heavy drinking.
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| What are the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy? |
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A study (2005) by doctors at the Coombe Women's Hospital in Dublin found that over 60% of women drink alcohol during pregnancy.
Even quite modest alcohol intake during pregnancy can lead to Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, a wholly avoidable birth defect that can leave a child with severe learning difficulties, poor physical health and a distinctive appearance.
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| Why do people suffer from hangovers if they drink a lot? |
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| A headache, nausea and a dry mouth are some of the symptoms of a hangover. Many of these spring from general dehydration because alcohol is a diuretic (which makes you pee a lot), but some stem from the by-products of alcohol metabolism. Tannins in red wine and chemicals known as congeners found in whiskey are also sometimes blamed. Congeners are by-products that are formed when wine or spirits are made, and give each drink its own character. |
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| What’s the best cure for a hangover? |
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In simple terms, the liver's job is to destroy poisons which are present in the body, and when you start drinking it sets to work on destroying the ethanol. However, this process generates destructively reactive chemicals called free radicals. These are usually mopped up by an enzyme called glutathione, but during a binge, reserves can run low, leaving the free radicals to run through the liver. Antioxidants help to mop up free radicals, so eating vitamin C rich foods the following day may help with the hangover symptoms.
Frequent visits to the toilet not only result in the loss of water, but also of the important salts dissolved in it. Potassium and sodium ions in particular are essential for the optimal functioning of nerves and muscles. An imbalance outside a limited range can result in nausea, fatigue, and headaches. Eating a banana when you have a hangover will help to replace some of the potassium lost, and you can make your own isotonic drink with some water, orange squash and half a teaspoon of salt to replace lost electrolytes.
In the long term, a high alcohol intake can impair the body's absorption of nutrients from food and bring about vitamin deficiencies - particularly the B group of vitamins.
Having a glass of water for every drink of alcohol can help to lessen the effects of a hangover. Also, drinking plenty of water the following day is essential.
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