“A glass of wine every day should be fine.” “I do not drink on weekdays, so it should be fine to make up for it on the weekend.”
Both are common drinking habits. But the burden they place on the body is different.
The British newspaper The Telegraph recently examined the effects of drinking patterns on health, drawing on explanations from experts about people who drink every day and those who consume large amounts all at once on a designated day.
To give the conclusion first, both daily drinking and consuming large amounts at once can cause health problems. However, the way the risks emerge differs.
One or two drinks every day... The liver has no time to rest
A glass of wine with dinner, a can of beer after work.
Judging only by the amount, this is far from binge drinking. But problems arise when it becomes a repeated habit.
According to The Telegraph, Dr. Richard Piper of ‘Alcohol Change UK’ explains that drinking every day can easily solidify into a habit. A drink that initially consisted of one glass can gradually increase, becoming two glasses at some point and then three.
An even bigger problem is that the liver has less time to rest. When alcohol enters the body, the liver uses its resources first to process alcohol rather than perform other metabolic functions. The liver comes under strain as it breaks down alcohol every day, and if long-term drinking continues, it can lead to fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
What happens if you binge on the weekend? You could black out
‘Binge drinking,’ in which people refrain from drinking and then consume large amounts intensively over one or two days, creates different risks from daily drinking. When a large amount of alcohol enters the body in a short period, blood alcohol concentration rises sharply.
The liver is not the only organ affected. As intoxication impairs judgment and motor skills, the risk of accidents such as falls and traffic collisions increases. In severe cases, it can interfere with memory formation itself, causing what is commonly known as a blackout, or ‘losing the film.’
A study introduced by The Telegraph also reported that people who had lost consciousness because of alcohol at least once during the previous year had a higher risk of dementia than moderate drinkers who had not had such an experience.
Binge drinking is more problematic for the brain and cardiovascular system
Even when the amount of alcohol consumed is the same, the way it is consumed may affect the brain differently.
A study introduced by The Telegraph found that even when the total amount consumed over a week was similar, binge drinking concentrated over a short period showed a clearer association with a reduction in the brain’s gray matter than moderate drinking every day.
Binge drinking also places strain on the cardiovascular system. Consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period can change blood pressure and heart rate and cause arrhythmias.
Both are common drinking habits. But the burden they place on the body is different.
The British newspaper The Telegraph recently examined the effects of drinking patterns on health, drawing on explanations from experts about people who drink every day and those who consume large amounts all at once on a designated day.
To give the conclusion first, both daily drinking and consuming large amounts at once can cause health problems. However, the way the risks emerge differs.
One or two drinks every day... The liver has no time to rest
A glass of wine with dinner, a can of beer after work.
Judging only by the amount, this is far from binge drinking. But problems arise when it becomes a repeated habit.
According to The Telegraph, Dr. Richard Piper of ‘Alcohol Change UK’ explains that drinking every day can easily solidify into a habit. A drink that initially consisted of one glass can gradually increase, becoming two glasses at some point and then three.
An even bigger problem is that the liver has less time to rest. When alcohol enters the body, the liver uses its resources first to process alcohol rather than perform other metabolic functions. The liver comes under strain as it breaks down alcohol every day, and if long-term drinking continues, it can lead to fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
What happens if you binge on the weekend? You could black out
‘Binge drinking,’ in which people refrain from drinking and then consume large amounts intensively over one or two days, creates different risks from daily drinking. When a large amount of alcohol enters the body in a short period, blood alcohol concentration rises sharply.
The liver is not the only organ affected. As intoxication impairs judgment and motor skills, the risk of accidents such as falls and traffic collisions increases. In severe cases, it can interfere with memory formation itself, causing what is commonly known as a blackout, or ‘losing the film.’
A study introduced by The Telegraph also reported that people who had lost consciousness because of alcohol at least once during the previous year had a higher risk of dementia than moderate drinkers who had not had such an experience.
Binge drinking is more problematic for the brain and cardiovascular system
Even when the amount of alcohol consumed is the same, the way it is consumed may affect the brain differently.
A study introduced by The Telegraph found that even when the total amount consumed over a week was similar, binge drinking concentrated over a short period showed a clearer association with a reduction in the brain’s gray matter than moderate drinking every day.
Binge drinking also places strain on the cardiovascular system. Consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period can change blood pressure and heart rate and cause arrhythmias.
Create ‘alcohol-free days’
To reduce alcohol consumption, it is helpful to first designate days on which you will not drink.
For people who drink every day, creating alcohol-free days at least several days a week can be a starting point. On drinking days, it can also help to decide in advance how much you will drink and alternate alcoholic drinks with water or nonalcoholic beverages. In particular, avoid drinking on an empty stomach, and eating before drinking can also help.
Another good method is to record all the alcohol you drink over the course of a week. Writing down how many shots of soju, cans of beer or glasses of wine you have consumed can help you objectively understand your drinking volume.
Trying an ‘alcohol reset’ for a certain period is another option. Andrew Harvey, a psychotherapist cited by The Telegraph, explained that people who take a break from alcohol sometimes gain new insight into why they drink. It may be that they “drank because they were bored” or “used alcohol to cover up difficult emotions at work.” This means that although quitting alcohol itself is not a solution to the problem, it can provide an opportunity to identify why you seek alcohol every day.
To lower the health risks associated with drinking, you need to consider both reducing the number of days you drink and reducing the amount you consume at one time.