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If A Healthy Person Drinks Recommended Limit Of Alcohol And Later Drinks More, Will It Be Bad For Health?

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Posted on Mon, 17 Sep 2012
Question: I have always heard that it is wise to drink no more than 2 to 3 alcoholic drinks per day for men, assuming they have no health problems. If a healthy person, no health problems, were to drink 1 to 2 drinks (or whatever their recommended limit is) and then stop for 4 to 5 hours and in that time eat a meal, and then later drink more would that be as bad to their overall health as drinking all within the same few hours? Does stopping for a few hours and eating a large meal allow them to drink more? Does food metabolize alcohol well enough that you can drink 1 or 2 more several hours later?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (6 hours later)
Hello
Thanks for he query.
The permissible limit of alcohol to be consumed by a healthy person is between 60 to 80 ml per day and it should not exceed 240 ml in a week.
Alcohol is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; however, alcohol cannot be stored and therefore, the body must oxidize it to get rid of it. Alcohol can only be oxidized in the liver, where enzymes are found to initiate the process.
90% of alcohol is metabolized by liver and rest 10% is removed by breath and urine.
All foods and beverages that are consumed begin to enter the bloodstream in the small intestine, so naturally a full stomach will slow the rate at which alcohol reaches the blood. While this will make the effects of the alcohol more gradual, it also increases the time until the alcohol is effectively metabolized. Foods of high fatty content, or combinations of different types of food, like carbohydrates and protein, increase the time it takes for alcohol to leave the stomach and be absorbed.
The permissible limit in 24 hours must be respected and so a large meal after your drinks doesn't mean that you can consume more alcohol again after the meal.
The main fuel for your liver cells is fatty acids from food and once you consume alcohol,your liver leaves aside fatty acids and starts utilizing alcohol so that the there is no build up of alcohol in your body.This results in accumulation of fatty acids in your liver cells causing liver inflammation and cirrhosis in long run.

It is better not to go beyond your permissible limit of alcohol in a day for healthy future.
I hope to have answered your query however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1978

Answered : 6704 Questions

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If A Healthy Person Drinks Recommended Limit Of Alcohol And Later Drinks More, Will It Be Bad For Health?

Hello
Thanks for he query.
The permissible limit of alcohol to be consumed by a healthy person is between 60 to 80 ml per day and it should not exceed 240 ml in a week.
Alcohol is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; however, alcohol cannot be stored and therefore, the body must oxidize it to get rid of it. Alcohol can only be oxidized in the liver, where enzymes are found to initiate the process.
90% of alcohol is metabolized by liver and rest 10% is removed by breath and urine.
All foods and beverages that are consumed begin to enter the bloodstream in the small intestine, so naturally a full stomach will slow the rate at which alcohol reaches the blood. While this will make the effects of the alcohol more gradual, it also increases the time until the alcohol is effectively metabolized. Foods of high fatty content, or combinations of different types of food, like carbohydrates and protein, increase the time it takes for alcohol to leave the stomach and be absorbed.
The permissible limit in 24 hours must be respected and so a large meal after your drinks doesn't mean that you can consume more alcohol again after the meal.
The main fuel for your liver cells is fatty acids from food and once you consume alcohol,your liver leaves aside fatty acids and starts utilizing alcohol so that the there is no build up of alcohol in your body.This results in accumulation of fatty acids in your liver cells causing liver inflammation and cirrhosis in long run.

It is better not to go beyond your permissible limit of alcohol in a day for healthy future.
I hope to have answered your query however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks