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What Is Alcohol in Moderation?

Beer, wine and liquor all have one thing in common, ethyl alcohol. This ingredient is what leads to the intoxicating effects felt when consumed. Your liver, responsible for metabolizing alcohol, can only process a small quantity. If you consume too much, the leftover alcohol will continue to course through your body, indicates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drinking in moderation means drinking alcohol in limited quantities.

  1. What's Considered Moderate

    • Take into consideration how much you drink.

      The U.S. Department of Agriculture says drinking in moderation means having "one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men." One drink is classified as having either one of these drinks; one 12-oz.glass of beer, a 5-oz. glass of wine or a 1.5-oz. shot of liquor, states the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Heavy Drinking

    • Drinking heavily has its risk.

      Moderate drinking becomes heavy drinking when you consume more than four drinks a day for women and more than five a day for men. Such drinking can be defined as alcohol abuse, indicates the Mayo Clinic. While moderate drinking has limited benefits to your health such as lowering cardiovascular disease, in those who don't have heart disease drinking heavily has far greater risks. Because drinking can affect your overall health, consideration should be taken prior to alcohol consumption.

    Binge Drinking

    • Drinking more in a short space of time is dangerous.

      Binge drinking alludes to those who have several drinks in a short span of time. The CDC defines binge drinking as having up to five drinks in a space of two hours. Heavy binge drinking involves having several drinking episodes a week. Binge drinking can become dangerous to an individual since blood alcohol concentration levels can rise beyond the legal limit of .08 percent.

    Getting Drunk

    • Eating doesn't mean you can drink more.

      Drinking more than the recommended guidelines can result in intoxication. Alcohol intoxication can cause impaired behavior such as slurred speech or walking unsteadily. A common misconception is that you can eat a meal to absorb the alcohol you consume. However, alcohol isn't absorbed by food, which means you will still become intoxicated if you drink heavily.

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