Binge drinking refers to excessive consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. For a male adult, this is about five or more standard drinks, and for female, four or more standard drinks, in one drinking session.

Binge drinking increases the risk of stroke, liver diseases, high blood pressure, risky behaviour, accidents and death [1].

Drinking in Moderation

 

If you do drink, moderation is the key. Women should drink no more than one standard drink a day and men should limit themselves to two standard drinks a day. A standard alcoholic drink contains 10 grams of alcohol, and this can be estimated to be:

  • 1 can (330 ml) of regular beer
  • Half glass* (100 ml) of wine
  • 1 nip (30 ml) of spirit

*glass height = 15cm

Related: Setting Your Drink Limits

Why Is the Recommended Drinking Limit Lower for Women?

The recommended drinking limit for women is lower as their bodies have a different fat to muscle ratio and a smaller blood volume as compared to men.

With the poor solubility of alcohol in fats, the blood and tissue concentrations of alcohol become higher in women, even when the amount of alcohol consumed is adjusted for the body size.

Women may also have lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase in the stomach than men, and as a result, less alcohol is broken down before absorption.

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References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm Accessed 1 Feb 2022.

  2. Paton, A. 2005, Alcohol in the body, British Medical Journal, 220(7482): 85-87, Accessed from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC543875/ on 1 Feb 2022.