Recommended maximum intake of alcoholic beverages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

This article summarizes the recommended maximum intake (or 'safe limits') of alcohol as recommended by the health agencies of various governments. Such recommendations are distinct from legal restrictions that may apply in those countries.

Contents

[edit] Guidelines are general in nature

The guidelines are general guidelines applying to a 'typical' person. Some should drink less or not at all: others might safely drink more.

There are some people who should not consume alcohol, or limit their use to less than guideline amounts. These are:

  • "People with chronic hepatitis C (or other forms of chronic hepatitis infection) who drink heavily have poorer health outcomes than those who drink less."[1][2]
  • Thin people - those below average body weight (60kg for men, 50kg for women)[3]
  • People with a relative who has, or has had, a problem with alcohol. First-degree relatives are parents, siblings and second-degree relatives are grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. ([1], p10)
  • People with a mental health problem (including anxiety or depression) and/or sleep disturbance ([1], p11)[2]
  • People taking medications or other drugs([1], p12) "Numerous classes of prescription medications can interact with alcohol, including antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, histamine H2 receptor antagonists, muscle relaxants, nonnarcotic pain medications and anti-inflammatory agents, opioids, and warfarin. In addition, many over-the-counter and herbal medications can cause negative effects when taken with alcohol."[4] Others include analgesics, aspirin, insulin, and oral contraceptives. "The list of medications that may interact with alcohol is so long that you should always consult a pharmacist or physician before drinking while using any medicine."[5]
  • Older people because their bodies are less able to handle the effects of alcohol([1], p13)
  • Young adults (aged about 18–25 years) ([1], p14)
  • Young people (up to about 18 years) ([1], p15)
  • People who are or have been dependent on other drugs[3]
  • People who have a poor diet, or are under-nourished[3]
  • People who have a family history of cancer or other risk factors for cancer[2]
  • People who are told not to drink for legal, medical or other reasons[2]
  • "People who choose not to drink alcohol should not be urged to drink to gain any potential health benefit, and should be supported in their decision not to drink. … Non-drinkers can use other strategies, such as regular exercise, giving up smoking, and a healthy diet, to gain protection against heart disease."([1], p17)

The standard guidelines may be too high when you are:

  • undertaking activities that involve risk or a degree of skill such as flying, scuba diving, water sports, ski-ing, using complex or heavy machinery or farm machinery, and driving([1], p7)[3][2]
  • suffering an acute or chronic physical disease such as heart and lung disease, influenza, diabetes, epilepsy or acute infections[3]
  • recovering from an accident, injury or operation[3]
  • drinking regularly to relieve stress or get to sleep.[3]
  • responsible for the safety of others at work or at home[2]

Consult your doctor if you think you fall into one of the above categories.

[edit] Units and standard drinks

Countries express alcohol intake in 'units' or 'standard drinks' when recommending alcohol intake. When looking at the recommendations in a website of another country, bear in mind these differences. In ascending order of unit size:

  • United Kingdom: A 'unit' = is 8g or 10 millilitres of alcohol. A unit is roughly equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager, or cider (3–4% alcohol by volume), or a small pub measure (25 ml) of spirits (40% alcohol by volume), or a standard pub measure (50 ml) of fortified wine such as sherry or port (20% alcohol by volume).[6][7]
  • Iceland: 9.5g[8]
  • Netherlands: A standard drink is 9.9g.[7]
  • Australia, Austria, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain[9][8][10],: A standard drink is 10g / 13 millilitres of alcohol. So in these countries, a standard drink is 30ml of straight spirits, a 330ml can of beer, or a 100ml glass of table wine. To calculate standard drinks, use the following formula: Volume of container (litres) x % alcohol by volume (mL/100mL) x 0.789 = The number of standard drinks[11][7]
  • Finland: A standard drink is 11g.[12]
  • Switzerland: A standard drink is 10–12g.
  • Denmark, France, South Africa: A standard drink is 12g.
  • Canada: A standard drink is 13.6g alcohol. Examples of standard drinks are: 5 oz/142 mL of wine (12% alcohol), 1.5 oz/43 mL of spirits (40% alcohol), 12 oz/341 mL of regular strength beer (5% alcohol).[2]
  • Portugal, United States: A standard drink is 14g / 18 millilitres / 0.5 ounces of alcohol.[12]
  • Hungary: 17g[8]
  • Japan: A standard drink is 19.75g / 25 millilitres of alcohol.


  • Hong Kong: 1 unit is a glass of wine or a pint of beer

[edit] Men

The standard drink size is given in brackets.

[edit] Daily maximum drinks (no weekly limits recommended)

  • Austria: 24g
  • Czech Republic 24g
  • Italy: 40g (30g for the elderly)[8]
  • Japan 1–2 (@19.75g = 19.75–39.5g)
  • Netherlands: 3 (@9.9g = 29.7g)
  • Portugal 37g[12]
  • Spain: 3 (@10g = 30g) Also suggests a maximum of no more than twice this on any one occasion.[12]
  • Sweden: 20g
  • Switzerland: 2 (@10–12g = 20–24g)[13]

Therefore, these countries recommend limits for men in the range 20–40g per day.

[edit] Daily/weekly maximum drinks

These countries recommend a weekly limit, but your intake on a particular day may be higher than one-seventh of the weekly amount.

  • Australia: 6/day; 28/week (@10g = 60g/day, 280g/week) Recommends one or two alcohol-free days per week.[14]
  • Canada: 2/day; 14/week (@13.6g = 27.2g/day, 190g/week)[2][15]
  • Hong Kong: 3–4/day; 21/week (glass of wine or a pint of beer)
  • New Zealand: 3/day; 21/week (@10g = 30g/day, 210g/week)[10]
  • UK: 3–4/day; 21/week (@8g = 24–32g day, 168g/week)
  • USA: 4/day; 14/week (@14g = 56g/day, 196g/week)[13]

Therefore, these countries recommend limits for men in the range 24–60g per day and 168–280g per week.

[edit] Weekly maximum drinks

  • Denmark: 252g[12]
  • Finland: 15 units (@11g = 165g/week)[12]
  • Ireland: 21 units (@10g = 210g/week)

[edit] Women who are neither pregnant nor breastfeeding

Women trying to become pregnant should look at the guidelines for pregnant women given below.

[edit] Daily maximum drinks (no weekly limits recommended)

  • Austria: 16g
  • Czech Republic 16g
  • Italy: 30g (25g for elderly women)[8]
  • Netherlands: 2 (@9.9g = 19.8g)
  • Portugal 18.5g[12]
  • Spain: 2 (@10g = 20g) Also suggests a maximum of no more than twice this on any one occasion.[12]
  • Sweden: 20g
  • Switzerland: 2 (@10–12g = 20–24g)[13]

Therefore, these countries recommend limits for women in the range 12–30g per day.

[edit] Daily/weekly maximum drinks

These countries recommend a weekly limit, but your intake on a particular day may be higher than one-seventh of the weekly amount.

  • Australia: 4/day; 14/week (@10g = 40g/day, 140g/week). Recommends one or two alcohol-free days per week.[14]
  • Canada: 2/day; 9/week (@13.6g = 27.2g/day, 122.4g/week)[2][15]
  • Hong Kong: 2–3/day; 14/week (glass of wine or a pint of beer)
  • New Zealand: 2/day; 14/week (@10g = 20g/day, 140g)[10]
  • UK: 2–3/day; 14/week (@8g = 16–24g/day, 112g/week)
  • USA: 3/day; 7/week (@14g = 42g/day, 98g/week)[13]

Therefore, these countries recommend limits for women in the range 16–42g per day and 98–140g per week.

[edit] Weekly maximum drinks

  • Denmark 168g[12]
  • Finland: 10 units (@11g = 110g/week)[12]
  • Ireland: 14 units (@10g = 140g/week)

[edit] Pregnant women

Drinking in pregnancy is the cause of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (BE: foetal alcohol syndrome), especially in the first eight to twelve weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, advice for pregnant women is different to that for those who are not. As there may be some weeks between conception and confirmation of pregnancy, most countries recommend that women trying to become pregnant should follow the guidelines for pregnant women.

  • Australia: Consider abstinence but if choosing to drink, then limit intake to less than 7 standard drinks, and, on any one day, no more than 2 standard drinks (spread over at least two hours).([1], p16) (Australian standard drink = 10 grams or 13 millilitres of alcohol.)
  • Canada: "Don't drink if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant."[2]
  • France: Total abstinence[13]
  • Iceland: Advise that pregnant women abstain from alcohol during pregnancy because no safe consumption level exists.[13]
  • Israel: Total abstinence[13]
  • The Netherlands: Abstinence[13]
  • Norway: Abstinence[13]
  • New Zealand: "There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption at any stage during pregnancy. Therefore, the Ministry recommends that, to be on the safe side, it is best that women avoid drinking alcohol at all during pregnancy."[16]
  • UK: Avoid more than 1–2 units once or twice a week (unit = 8 grams or 10 millilitres of alcohol).
  • US: Total abstinence during pregnancy and while planning to become pregnant[13]

[edit] Breastfeeding women

"Alcohol passes to the baby in small amounts in breast milk. The milk will smell different to the baby and may affect their feeding, sleeping or digestion. The best advice is to avoid drinking shortly before a baby’s feed."[17] "Alcohol clears from a mother's milk at the rate of around one unit [8g] every two hours. So try to avoid alcohol before breastfeeding, or plan ahead and express milk if you know you'll be drinking."[18] "There is little research evidence available about the effect that [alcohol in breast milk] has on the baby, although practitioners report that, even at relatively low levels of drinking, it may reduce the amount of milk available and cause irritability, poor feeding and sleep disturbance in the infant. Given these concerns, a prudent approach is advised."[1]

  • Australia: "Women who are breastfeeding are advised not to exceed the levels of drinking recommended during pregnancy, and may consider not drinking at all."[1]
  • Iceland: Advise that women abstain from alcohol during breast feeding because no safe consumption level exists.
  • New Zealand: "The guidelines recommend women do not drink alcohol, smoke, or use non-prescription drugs unless prescribed during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as these can all affect the growth and development of the baby."[16]
  • United Kingdom: "The occasional drink - one to two units [8–16g] no more than once or twice a week - probably won't do any harm. Any more than this isn't good, as it can make the baby so sleepy that it won't take enough milk."[18]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Australian Alcohol Guidelines: Health Risks and Benefits
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Centre for Addiction and Mental Health / Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) Low Risk Drinking
  4. ^ Ron Weathermon, Pharm.D., and David W. Crabb, M.D. Alcohol and Medication Interactions Alcohol Research & Health Vol. 23, No. 1, 1999 pp40–54
  5. ^ Prevention Source BC Alcohol and Drug Interactions Winter 2000
  6. ^ PRODIGY Knowledge (Department of Health) Alcohol and Sensible Drinking
  7. ^ a b c Key Facts and Issues International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP)
  8. ^ a b c d e Worldwide Recommendations on Alcohol Consumption
  9. ^ Department of Health and Ageing The Australian Standard Drink
  10. ^ a b c Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) What's in a Standard Drink
  11. ^ New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) / Te Pou Oranga Kai O Aotearoa What's on a Food Label? Alcoholic Beverages and Foods
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Drinking and You Drinking guidelines - units of alcohol
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j ICAP International Drinking Guidelines
  14. ^ a b Department of Health and Ageing Australian Alcohol Guidelines in Summary
  15. ^ a b Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines (LRDG) (goes live September 2006)
  16. ^ a b New Zealand Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora Ministry releases revised food and nutrition guidelines for pregnancy and breastfeeding
  17. ^ Alcohol and pregnancy
  18. ^ a b Is it advisable to drink while you're pregnant?

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/e/c/Recommended_maximum_intake_of_alcoholic_beverages.html"