Alcoholic beverages are so popular that the American Psychiatric Association, or APA, estimates only about 10 percent of adults have not consumed one. While many who drink encounter no alcohol-related problems, more than 25 percent of females and 50 percent of males do, according to the APA. Such statistics are why organizations like the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA, recommend no more than moderate drinking for the best health.
Safe Drinking
The Mayo Clinic and NIAAA define moderate drinking as no more than one drink each day for men age 66 or older and women and two drinks each day for men age 65 and younger. One drink equals 1.5 oz. of distilled spirits labeled 80-proof, 5 oz. of wine or 12 oz. of wine cooler or beer. People who drink moderately often have no or few adverse related problems, according to the NIAAA, while those who drink more alcohol increase their risk of health problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Potential Benefits
Moderate drinking may improve health, according to the Mayo Clinic. Possible benefits include a decreased risk of gallstones, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and death from a heart attack. Alcohol may produce such effects because moderate amounts increase insulin sensitivity and the amount of "good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the body, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Gender Differences
Men and women's bodies respond differently to alcohol. It typically takes less alcohol for women to become drunk because women have less body water than men. Since alcohol combines with water inside the body, it becomes more concentrated--and its effects stronger--when the body has less water.
Hangovers
Hangovers occur when people drink too much. The risk of a hangover increases the more you drink, according to the Mayo Clinic, although the temporary condition typically clears up without treatment in a day or possibly longer. Signs include aching muscles, bloodshot eyes, dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, poor concentration, problems sleeping and vomiting. Avoid hangovers by drinking moderately. When a hangover occurs, taking a non-prescription pain reliever, eating bland food, staying hydrated and sleeping may help reduce symptoms until it goes away.
Alcohol Disorders
People who drink excessively are not always alcoholics. Alcohol abuse indicates that an individual is not dependent on alcohol but still drinks so much that drinking affects her life negatively. The more severe disease of alcoholism, or alcohol dependence, indicates a person has a craving or powerful need for alcohol, an inability to stop drinking after drinking starts, a physical dependence on alcohol that produces withdrawal symptoms when drinking stops and a tolerance for alcohol that makes him need to drink increasingly more to get drunk. Both alcohol abuse and alcoholism are treatable with such options as therapy and support groups.
Warning
Some people should avoid alcohol at all times. They include individuals under age 21, alcoholics in recovery, pregnant women, women trying to conceive, people taking medications that do not mix well with alcohol, individuals with medical conditions that alcohol makes worse and people who need to remain alert for certain activities, such as driving.
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