Alcohol and Health: How Much is Too Much?

Even small amounts of wine, beer or liquor are bad for your health, according to the latest science. We’re not telling you what to do - but there are tricks and techniques to monitor and maybe change your own drinking habits. Sheena Williams, RN (and a former bartender) is here with a quiz that might help. Sheena and Dr. Alok Patel are also here to explain the ways that alcohol affects your body. Watch the video and hit us up in the comments!
#dryjanuary #dryjanuarytips #drinking
🩺🥼 Vitals is a series that’s taking a new approach to health and medicine. Hosts Alok Patel, MD, and Sheena Williams RN are going beyond the headlines to answer your questions on the latest health topics. No judgment, no taboos. Just 100% science-based information.
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Find our experts and hosts:
:: Dr. Alok Patel ::
Website: alokpatelmd.com/
Twitter: @AlokPatelMD
Instagram: @alokpatelmd
:: Sheena William, RN ::
Twitter: @Keepingitkinky1
Instagram: @keepingitkinky
🦴Bone up on more info:
FAQ and current alcohol guidelines:
www.cdc.gov/al...
Alcohol Damage To The Brain:
www.cnn.com/20...
How Is Alcohol Eliminated From The Body
sites.duke.edu...
Prescription Drugs For Alcohol Abuse: Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Disulfiram
khn.org/news/m...
Health Impacts of Dry January:
www.wired.co.u...

[@shreyassrinivasan8550]

Hey, could you make a video on junk food? What counts as junk food? What is considered as good food? Etc etc...

[@Effectiveelect]

Great topic suggestion!

[@pbsvitals]

Great idea!

[@Matthew-rl3zf]

Lol, it's 1 am (in Australia) and I literally just got home after a party with drinks and this pops up in my feed 😂

[@pbsvitals]

it's not January yet!

[@ziziroberts8041]

Start before New Year. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

[@AidanRatnage]

I don't drink at all because I hate the taste.

[@pbsvitals]

Have you found it easy or difficult to navigate social scenarios as a non-drinker? We've noticed that several bars now offering mocktails to accommodate non-drinkers. At the same time, drinking is very much embedded in our culture. Would love to hear your experience.

[@PunkHerr]

@@pbsvitals in these szenarios I go with non-alcoholic cocktails (is this what a mocktail mean?) or just skip tasting drinks altogether. (I avoid overly sugary things)

[@AidanRatnage]

@@pbsvitals I don't do much socialising because I'm autistic and very introverted. The few times I have gone to nightclubs or bars I didn't enjoy it that much but I just ordered normal non acholic drinks like 7-up and orange juice. Our culture also isn't the same, I'm British and only know a little of US culture from the internet and 1 holiday (vacation) to there.

[@angrymaniac53]

Try chyaang very tasty and easy to drink.

[@Isaksson9915]

I have a bottle of Cognac on the shelf. Its about 5 years old now and a lill more than half empty. (Ye, I am a pessimist.) I have never been one to forbid my self from anything so if I really do want a drink now and then its fine. In my personal case, to completely forbid my self from this or that only leads to me being depressed and thinking about it more as I need to remind my self of the fact. Same with anything I am in the habit of enjoying. Moderation is key.

[@Sixthhokage95]

I personally abstain from alcohol because I don't like how it makes me feel; it's akin to being particularly tired, with the increased likelihood of mood swings that that brings (and my mood is volatile enough already jfc). Add to that me now being on spironolactone for its antiandrogenic effects and for me the answer to the title's question is "not at all".

[@MBMCincy63]

I have to say that got 1 or less correct, 5oz wine, 2oz Hard. Did not ( still unclear) about abv% math. I have not had but a few glasses of wine in nearly 3 months. I've lost weight, and I feel a lot better. I had been drinking 1.5liter in 7 days. Thanks for your help.

[@prabathhemachandra]

Great work PBS vitals! 👍

[@pbsvitals]

Thank you! Let us know if there are any future topics you'd like to see us discuss!

[@UntrackedEndorphins]

As someone who enjoys drinking, I don't do it daily, not even monthly. And whenever an article comes up with a headline along the lines of "A glass of x is good for you", I just feel disgusted, I think? because I know there are people out there with drinking problems who look at those headlines and feel validated to continue

[@mjmulenga3]

Same here. I enjoy an occasional drink and it's amazing how few people can drink in moderation. Almost none.

[@prettypic444]

love the idea of a pbs metaverse!

[@PunkHerr]

I have got dry january for several years. Just "forgot" to start drinking again.

[@pbsvitals]

interesting... what led to try it in the first place?

[@PunkHerr]

@@pbsvitals I'm sorry. My message is a bit misleading because it is a "joke". I'm straight edge for several years. So - intentional^^. But to answer the question properly: I am head (mind) guy. I like thinking and my mind. Drugs give me nothing in that direction so they are a 0 game (therefor just a loss for me).

[@victordavis140]

Wait, really? No health benefits, how is that possible? Knowing how impactful cooking and fermentation were to our evolution, certainly moderate drug use conveys some kind of benefit. If nothing else, stress reduction, pain reduction, and better sleep. I've done alcohol-free and caffeine-free months off and on for years, but my understanding of the practice was as a kind of check-in or proof of non-addiction. I had never understood it as a baby step to "better health" via teetotaling.

[@XOPOIIIO]

But why just don't get addicted in the first place? Why to treat it if you knew that you can get addicted beforehand and could just prevent it?

[@perpetuated]

big brain stuff here. thank you for your contribution.

[@XOPOIIIO]

@@perpetuated I'm not contributing, it was a question.

[@13abcde]

I'm a measuring freak! I always make my drinks (gin and tonic) with 30 cc of gin. My usual binge is a naggin (6 and two thirds drinks). I'm trying to quit, however.

[@sk8rdman]

From the title I thought this video was going to be about how much water/fluids we "should" be consuming on a daily basis.

[@derekstaff]

I gather from the video that you both yourselves occasionally drink, so in practice, you don’t think complete abstinence is necessary. But I’m curious about how you interpret the idea from the available data. Do you feel that, ideally, it would be better if no one ever drank? Are there any benefits at all to any consumption of alcohol, or does science suggest any consumption is bad, albeit not enough for you to recommend absolute abstinence? I was raised in a faith community that forbade any alcoholic drinks. Recently, at almost fifty years old, I’ve left that community and no longer believe. I’ve been mulling over the idea of sticking my toe in the water, perhaps trying a glass of wine. For someone like me, who has no experience with or tradition of alcohol, would you advise remaining a teetotaler, or do you think giving it a shot (pun intended😁) is ok?

[@derekstaff]

To put it another way, would you put alcohol consumption in the same category as smoking/nicotine, which I understand the medical community to consider a harmful substance that should never be consumed/inhaled? Or is this, in moderation, relatively benign?

[@brandonkelley6500]

In regard of any "health benefits" of alcohol, many health professionals would say if you do not drink now, there is no reason to start.... Most common example of "health benefits" of alcohol is wine has antioxidants and blah blah. Yet, you can easily get same type of antioxidants from grape juice or even grapes / cherry themselves, etc... Also depends on what people want to consider moderation. Drinking 6 times or less a year would be pretty moderate. Drinking the standard 1-2 servings a night, or 7/14 drinks a week probably isn't really all that "moderate." The more frequently you consume alcohol, more resources & nutrients your body & liver puts towards clearing / repairing alcohol related metabolism damage.... Ultimately if you want an alcoholic drink maybe once a month , it probably won't be problematic. However, people tend to EASILY justify why they are drinking way more frequently like 2 drinks a night or up to 6+ drinks on "weekends." ... TL;DR, if you haven't been drinking, there isn't really a reason to start. Drinking the "recommended" 7/14 servings a week probably isn't really that moderate.

[@pbsvitals]

Derek, thanks for your patience! We were out on holiday and are just getting back into the swing of things. You have gone through quite the life change! After a lifetime without alcohol, the decision whether to try something new must be a tough one for you! Ultimately it's a very personal decision, and perhaps the most important question to ask yourself is why you want to start. The science certainly leans toward staying alcohol-free. Something we probably should have elaborated on in the video is WHY experts say no amount of drinking is safe. Previous studies found alcohol had a protective effect in some circumstances. But as our understanding evolves, researchers are finding a strong association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cancer, injuries, and adverse effects on the brain that offset any previously perceived benefits (heart, stress). You’ll need to balance the health concerns with the desire for first-time experiences like drinking with friends, or pairing a glass of wine with a fine cheese. With that said, everything in life has risks and limiting drinking to a few occasions will help minimize them. You can decide to have a glass of wine and leave it at that. And then you’ll have had the experience and not have to worry about significant long-term effects. I hope this helps. Best of luck to you!

[@mjmulenga3]

Great video, but the title question hasn't been answered.

[@pbsvitals]

Watch again :) At about 5 min we explicitly say it. With that said, if there is angle you think we missed, let us know. We could make it a social media post. We've already got some requests to talk about how it relates to Blood Alcohol Content and we're always up for feedback.

[@mjmulenga3]

@@pbsvitals thanks for the response. My bad, I was watching on the bus from work. I see it now, and thanks again for the great content.

[@anonymouxx9261]

I'm here tnx to deep look :D

[@pbsvitals]

Thanks for coming! Great to see you - new video dropping tomorrow.

[@powerhour4602]

I never drink alcohol. Somehow I'm not any richer.

[@jessielvine7186]

got here from deep look

[@odizzido]

Oh, I thought this was about water

[@razvanced5949]

As with everything, in moderation. Portraying anything as completely negative is not beneficial

[@20128]

Whatever you say Sheena 😍