Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men in a two-hour period. (Image credit: Jackyenjoyphotography via Getty Images)
Alcohol often flows freely during holidays and other events. But how much is too much?
Simply put, what exactly is considered “binge drinking” and what are its potential health consequences?
Most people think of binge drinking as “drinking to get drunk,” says Dr. Ryan Marino, a toxicologist and associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. But the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) offers a more precise definition.
Binge drinking means that within two hours, a person consumes enough alcohol to reach a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. This equates to at least 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood, which for the average adult is about four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men. In the United States, a standard drink contains 0.6 ounces (14 grams) of pure alcohol; this is roughly equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.
Women have a lower threshold for binge drinking because they typically have more body fat and less water than men of the same weight. Because alcohol dissolves in water rather than fat, women achieve a higher BAC while consuming the same number of drinks.
Notably, there is a behavior that is even more extreme than binge drinking, known as high-intensity drinking. The NIAAA defines this as drinking alcohol in amounts that are two or more times the threshold for binge drinking — that is, 10 drinks or more for men or eight or more for women in about two hours.
What are the health risks of excessive alcohol consumption?
In the short term, alcohol slows brain activity, making a person’s reflexes slower after a binge, which can lead to accidents like falls, drownings, and car crashes. This brain dulling also increases the likelihood of risky behaviors like unsafe sex or violence, said Sarah Church, a psychologist and CEO of Wholeview Wellness, an addiction treatment center in New York City.
Drinking too much alcohol in one sitting can damage the hippocampus, a region of the brain critical for forming memories. This can lead to memory lapses, where a person cannot remember what happened while they were drunk.
When blood alcohol levels become too high, areas of the brain that control vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, and alertness can begin to shut down. This condition is called alcohol poisoning and can lead to vomiting, seizures, coma, or even death.
The Impact of Repeated Drinking on Health
One episode of binge drinking can cause these immediate effects and likely a hangover the next morning. Regular binge drinking can have serious long-term consequences for both physical and mental health.
The liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol, so if you consume more than the organ can handle, it can become seriously damaged, leading to liver disease. Frequent alcohol consumption also affects the heart. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with high blood pressure, and over time, this strains the heart, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Long-term heavy drinking also damages nerves, sometimes causing “alcoholic neuropathy.” Symptoms include numbness, pain in the arms and legs, and difficulty walking.
There is ample evidence linking heavy drinking to higher rates of various cancers. “Rates of esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancers are all higher in people who regularly drink large amounts of alcohol,” said Linnea Axman, associate dean of the University of Phoenix College of Nursing.
It also disrupts your gut health. The gut is home to a large community of bacteria known as the “gut microbiome,” and “eating excess
Sourse: www.livescience.com
