“I don’t know that we’re ever going to be able to get to that level how to drink moderately of precision,” says Timothy Rebbeck, professor of cancer prevention at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “I do think a change is needed,” says Dr. Aashish Didwania, a primary care physician and medical educator at Northwestern University. If you are becoming worried about the amount of alcohol you consume, you can ask your doctor about it. During pregnancy, it increases the risk of pregnancy loss and of a child having growth and developmental problems in future. However, these studies were very limited, and no confirmed conclusion has been reached on the link between menstruation and alcohol absorption. William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases, Vanderbilt University, Nashville.
Key points – How to drink less alcohol
- On Friday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for updating the existing surgeon general’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include the risk of cancer.
- So whether you raise a glass to Schaffner’s takeaway from the review paper (“don’t drink too much”) or lower it in response to Rahman’s (“don’t drink”), it’s best to imbibe responsibly, if at all.
- Drinking responsibly will not only result in longer-term health pay offs, but lovely added bonuses like fewer headaches and hangovers, too.
- With Oar, you can connect with a medical professional today to see if medication is a good fit for you.
For example, the risk of breast cancer increases even at low levels of drinking (for example, less than 1 drink in a day). If you’re an occasional or social drinker, it can be easy to participate in binge drinking and feel like it doesn’t have an effect on your health or how well you function. When, in reality, the health risks of binge drinking are present regardless of how often it occurs.
Set Goals and Turn to the Support of Others
Keep this list in your wallet, on your fridge, or in an app on your phone. Planning ahead can help you manage situations when you might be tempted to drink too much. Guidelines vary a lot from country to country, but the overall trend is toward drinking less.
Who Is Moderation-Based Treatment For?
All alcohol contains congeners, which are the byproducts of the fermentation process. Studies have shown that alcohols with higher levels of congeners are worse for hangovers. While many believe that darker drinks, like bourbon and red wine, have higher levels of congeners, it’s also thought that cheaper brands of alcohol also contain more as well. To be safe, it’s best to buy top-shelf, clear liquor to avoid consuming more https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of these impurities. Buying more expensive alcohol is also a good way to deter yourself from drinking too much.
Strategies to Cut Back on Drinking
This provides you with the opportunity to create a plan that feels good to you and increases your accountability to those goals. Monument’s Community Sober living home is available 24/7, and is completely anonymous. Share your challenges and questions with other people who are navigating sobriety or moderation. Monument also provides therapist-moderated online alcohol support groups on a range of topics, including navigating moderation.
Health Risks
Whether you carry a physical card in your wallet or use your smartphone, track your drinks to get a better handle on your consumption. Similarly, make sure your drinks are standard sizes (12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits). This is easier to do at home, but you can try communicating your needs to the bartender or waiter. It depends on many factors, such as your personal relationship with alcohol, your health, your life circumstances, and your goals.