Medical Advice on Drinking Alcohol: Doctors’ Advice

Anyone who drinks alcohol can benefit from medical advice on drinking. Standard drinks (learn more) all contain the same amount of pure alcohol. It’s six-tenths of an ounce.

A standard drink is any of these.medical advice on drinking

    • 12-ounce bottle or can of regular beer
    • 5-ounce glass of dinner wine
    • A shot (one and 1/2 ounce) drink of distilled spirits (liquor).

They also have similar benefits for health and long life.

Moderate Drinking

Knowing about this alcohol equivalence can help people drink in moderation. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was formerly the American Dietetic Association. It says “Knowing the facts of beverage alcohol equivalence is a crucial aspect of responsible drinking.”1 Thus, people won’t be fooled by the myth that drinking “hard liquor” leads more quickly to intoxication.

In a poll of doctors, 95% said it is important that people understand standard drinks. And 98% believe it important for doctors to say this and other facts about drinking.

The study was made by the American Medical Women’s Association. It’s the oldest and largest multispecialty group of women doctors in the world.2

medical advice on drinkingDr. Raymond Scaletter is former head of the American Medical Association. He says “Incorporating standard drink facts into routine exams will help stress moderation and to identify alcohol abuse.” The medical leader says that it’s important for doctors to “reinforce moderate drinking.”

What is Moderate Drinking?

The U.S. government defines moderate drinking simply. It’s a man drinking up to two drinks daily. For a woman, it’s having up to one drink daily. That’s right. Alcohol is Sexist: It’s Unjust and Unfair, But Important to Know.

Many other countries have much higher limits. The science is the same everywhere. But some countries have a temperance background whereas others don’t. And these limits are set politically and culturally.

Medical Advice on Drinking Alcohol

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Footnotes
    1. Nutrition Fact Sheet.
    2. Am Med Women’s Assn.