Many of us enjoying a glass of red wine for dinner, and the older part of us it is said even to be healthy. On the other hand, alcohol increases the risk of many diseases. Then we let the stopper preferably be in the bottle, or we can calmly enjoy a glass of wine? And when there is talk about consumption and abuse?
A glass of red wine with dinner – both for weekdays and weekends – is an established ritual for many. But there are so many of us who do not leave it at that. Completely new figures from the National Institute of Public Health shows that many more South Africans than previously thought drinking alcohol in a quantity that undermine health. 860,000 is what is defined as heavy users, 585,000 have a harmful consumption, while 140,000 are dependent on alcohol.
The difference between heavy users and people with harmful consumption is a liquid. A major consumer drinks more than the National Board subject boundaries – 14 drinks per week for men and 7 for women and no more than five drinks per. time – and thereby exposing themselves to develop alcohol-related illness or injury due to alcohol. The 585,000 with harmful consumption has been an alcohol-related illness or are injured because of their alcohol consumption. They have for example been an accident like being passed on to the bike and broke my arms and legs.
Despite the high number of alcohol-dependent of 140,000 South Africans are only between 6,000 and 12,000 in treatment for alcohol problems. It can of course be several reasons, but the figures suggest at least that a large proportion do not realize that they have a drinking problem.
Local Directories of Private Alcohol Treatment Centres
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Men and young people are very often alcoholics without even realizing it
Figures from the Health Protection Agency statistics South African population’s drinking habits from 2009 show that our average consumption is 7.2 drinks per week. Men drink almost twice as much as women, and the 16-20-year-olds drink more than other age groups.
Statistics show that 48.3 percent of us think that our drinking is normal. 47 percent think they drink less than others, and 4.7 percent believe they are drinking more. Again, there are gender differences. More men than women perceive as consumption as normal. Also the 16-20-year-old seems more than other age groups that they drink normally. The proportion who consider their consumption as usual, is greater among them that transcends subject boundaries (65.7 percent) than among those who stay within limits (46.3 percent).
Moderate consumption is OK
Our drinking habits have changed radically in recent decades. Before prosperity boom began in the 60s, was wine on the table a rarity, and it was quite common to serve a cup of coffee or tea when you had guests. How it does not look anymore. As we could afford to travel, we also got a taste for wine, and visiting the coffee is now replaced by a glass of wine or other alcohol.
According to a report from the Health Protection Agency we are drinking alcohol, when we enjoy ourselves, celebrate, eat, meet friends, relax or perk up. In short, we use almost every opportunity to drink.
And if we stay within the official borders, there is indeed no reason for concern, says Janne Schurmann Tolstrup, who is head of research at the National Institute of Public Health. She is very clear in her voice when she answered no to question whether we really should not recommend total abstinence for all. – Generally we expose us not for a health risk at a light to moderate alcohol consumption, says she.
Fully in line from Cancer, which highlights research showing that a small intake of alcohol appears to protect against certain cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged and elderly persons.
Alcohol and cancer
But the picture is not black and white. For alcohol is also related to 60 different diseases. Among other alcohol increases the risk of several cancers especially breast cancer, oral cancer, cancer of the esophagus and liver cancer. Particularly serious, it appears to breast cancer, where recent studies show that just one subject a day increases breast cancer risk by 10 percent. Drink Mon 3:00 to 6:00 drinks a week, the risk of breast cancer increased by eight percent. More than 15 objects increases the risk by 29 percent. And that applies whether you prefer wine, beer or spirits.
The findings come from the so-called Million Women Study, based on data from nearly 1.3 million middle-aged British women, who in 1996-2001 participated in mammography screening.
But it is the relative risk and not the absolute, to be increased. If women’s overall risk of getting breast cancer is 10 percent, three to six drinks per week increase the risk by 8 percent of the total risk of 10 percent. This means that overall risk will be at 10.8 percent. The risk is thus only slightly elevated, stresses.
The important thing is that women are aware of the risk, and we must then independently consider how you will handle it.
It’s alcohol effects on woman’s estrogen levels which affect the risk of breast cancer. The more you drink, the more influenced estrogen levels, and the greater the risk of developing cancer. But drink Mon less estrogen levels fall again, and hence the risk.
Besides the aforementioned cancers can alcohol cause among other things:
- Liver damage
- Bleeding from varicose veins in the esophagus
- Neuritis
- Pancreatitis
- Brain shrinkage
- Heart disease
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Stomach ulcers
- Skin changes
- Hypertension
- Lack of sexual abilityDo not drink for health reasons
Despite studies showing a cardioprotective effect of a small alcohol intake, recommends the National Institute of Public Health not to drink alcohol for health reasons. And anyway, you can not save on heart account. It is only men over 40 and women during and after menopause, there heart in terms of benefits from alcohol, said Roxanne Lights.
It is only for breast cancer, there is no lower limit for alcohol. For other cancers, such as alcohol increases the risk, make up two to three drinks a day until there is increased risk, said Anne Foster. We do not know why this is so, but it might be about, that women tend to tolerate less alcohol than men, she says.
Alcohol and the body
Alcohol acts as a poison to most of your organs. How much organ damage is related to how much you drink and how long you’ve done it. Also, how much people can afford to drink. Some can actually cause damage to organs without anyone would argue that he has had alcohol problems. But the risk of organ damage is small, if you do not drink more than five drinks at one time and not exceed the Board of Health subject boundaries.
These object boundaries are – and stress – maximum limits. We recommend absolutely not reach limits, and if we do, it is essential that consumption is evenly distributed. Limits must be understood as an upper limit for alcohol, which is not harmful. They come from England, who provided them in 1987 on the correlation between alcohol consumption and mortality.
The difference between the recommended consumption for men and women because women both because of relatively more fat and less body mass has less water to dissolve the alcohol than men. Wherefore their lives exposed to relatively higher dose of alcohol. Meanwhile, women live less, and women are therefore a longer time to convert a given amount of alcohol than men.
Consumption or abuse
Strap yourself within subject boundaries, one is as I said on the fairly safe in terms of harmful effects of alcohol. But the limits are exceeded easily. So be aware of your alcohol consumption. Try to ask yourself these questions Health Authority has prepared. If you answer yes to just one of them, it is perhaps time to look at your drinking habits.
- Searching often an excuse to drink alcohol
- You have unsuccessfully tried to stop drinking, for example in one week
- You find that someone says that you drink too much
- You try to hide that you take a beer or glass of wine
- You have betrayed agreements with children because you have drunk
- You have missed days due to hangovers
- You think that you should drink still more to be affected
- You are full of celebrations, although you would not drink alcohol
- You drink so much that you have trouble remembering what happened.Seven statements about alcohol
Board of Health has formulated seven recommendations for stricter alcohol. Recommendations insists Board of Health known object borders – more than 14 drinks per week for women – and a maximum of 21 drinks for men. With the tougher recommendations states Board of Health that alcohol is a dangerous drug that should not be consumed for health purposes. The new recommendations aimed at the adult population. Health Protection Agency stresses that children under 16 years not to drink while young to drink very moderately – and no more than five drinks at once.
- No alcohol is safe for your health. Alcohol affects all organs of the body, and studies show that alcohol contributes to development of about 60 different diseases including cancer and larynx cancer.
- Do not drink alcohol for your health’s sake. Board of Health has now fully demonstrated their openness to a lower consumption of alcohol. Studies have shown otherwise, that for middle aged women and men can be a heart protective effect by drinking a single subject each day. But actually, most of the protective effect is achieved simply by drinking a small object every second day.
When the Board of Health still chooses to discourage alcohol for health reasons, then it is because a healthy diet and exercise in equally have a health promoting effect, and therefore do not wish to recommend a method that can be potentially harmful.
- You have a low risk of getting sick because of alcohol at a consumption of 7 items or less per week for women and 14 for men. Although the maximum limit remains at 14 units for women and 21 drinks for men, so try Health Board now to refine the image by introducing a low-risk threshold, which should remain below if you wish to consume alcohol with the least possible risk . Health Protection Agency also recommends that you allocate objects out evenly over a week.
- You have a high risk of becoming ill from alcohol if you drink more than 14 articles as a woman and 21 drinks per week as a man. Health Protection Agency stick to the known upper limit for alcohol intake in a week.
- Stop before five articles on the same occasion. It is not only the quantity but also the way you drink on that have a decisive effect on health. Therefore recommends Board of Health, this remains below five drinks per evening. Especially young people are a group that exceeds the limit of five items. New research suggests that young people’s brains are affected particularly strongly of alcohol, and alcohol can affect both concentration and memory.
- Are you pregnant – avoid alcohol. Are you getting pregnant – avoid alcohol as a precaution. It is proven that alcohol is harmful to the fetus throughout pregnancy. This also applies to alcohol in small quantities.
- Are you older – Be particularly careful with alcohol. Research shows that older people are particularly susceptible to alcohol negative effects. When you get older reduced fluid volume in the body, and the same amount of alcohol must therefore be distributed in a smaller amount of fluid – which results in a higher BAC.
What is an unit of alcohol
An unit is 12 grams (1.5 oz) of pure alcohol. As a rule of thumb you can assume that there is one item in:
- 1 regular beer (33 cl)
- 1 glass of wine (12 cl)
- 1 glass of fortified wine (8 cl)
- 1 glass of spirits (4 cl)