Less is best when it comes to alcohol

If you choose to drink, most women can safely have one drink a day, and most men can have two drinks a day. One drink equals 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. Drinking more than these amounts may cause health problems.

Ask five people what moderate drinking is and you may get five different answers. Here’s a simple definition from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Moderate drinking is no more than two drinks daily for men younger than age 65. For women and older men, it's one drink a day or less.

That may not sound like a lot, but even small amounts of alcohol can impair your coordination and judgment, which may increase the chance of accidents. Over time, extra drinks also add up to a higher risk for health problems. Plus, "excess alcohol use tends to go hand in hand with other unhealthful habits, such as eating a poorquality diet," says Rosalind Breslow, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the NIAAA.

Know the effects
Here's the bottom line on how drinking may affect you:

• Slowed reaction time. You’re not as fast in crucial situations, such as braking if a child runs in front of your car. You start to slow down even before your blood alcohol level reaches the legal limit for driving.
• Impaired judgment. Drinking affects your ability to think clearly. Excess alcohol use also increases the chance of family conflicts, work problems, and committing or becoming the victim of violence.
• Health issues. Consuming more than a moderate amount of alcohol raises the risk for high blood pressure, stroke and some cancers. Long-term heavy drinking may also lead to liver disease, inflammation of the pancreas and brain damage.
• Nutritional effects. "Alcohol is a significant source of calories. And it may contribute to obesity in some people," notes Dr. Breslow. Excess alcohol also affects the body's ability to use nutrients from foods.

Other Factors to Consider
All people who drink should watch their intake. However, these factors indicate a need for added caution:

• Body weight. The lower your weight is, the less water is present in your body to dilute the alcohol.
• Gender. Women may become more impaired than men after drinking the same amount. That’s because women’s bodies generally contain less water per pound.
• Age. Older adults may become more sensitive to alcohol’s effects.
• Medications. Many medicines, such as sleeping pills and blood thinners, may be harmful when combined with alcohol.

Of course, some people shouldn’t drink at all. They include pregnant women, those who may become pregnant, people younger than age 21 and recovering alcoholics.