What is Worse Continuous Alcohol Consumption or Binge
Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
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Drinking alcohol to excess—whether you consume too much daily or during periodic binges—is bad for your health. Compulsive drinking is a sign of alcoholism (also called alcohol use disorder), and binge drinking can make you more susceptible to developing a dysfunctional alcohol habit. But is it bad for your health to have a glass of wine every day? Is drinking moderately every day worse for your health than going on an occasional bender? Take a look at what's known about the effect of drinking behaviors on health.
What is alcoholism, anyway?
Daily drinking or even binge drinking periodically does not necessarily mean a person is an alcoholic. The characteristics of alcohol use disorder include:
- An overwhelming craving or irresistible compulsion to drink
- Being unable to stop drinking once you've started
- Feeling angry, anxious, sad or depressed when you're drinking
- Preoccupation with drinking, such as when you can get your next drink
- Requiring more and more alcohol to achieve the same euphoric effect
- Withdrawal symptoms if you abruptly stop drinking
Many people who consume alcohol regularly are not alcoholics. And people who binge drink (the definition of binge drinking is an episode of drinking a large quantity of alcohol over a short period of time) are not necessarily alcoholics, either. But experts continue to disagree about whether any alcohol consumption at all is healthy for the body or mind.
Are the health effects of binge drinking vs. daily drinking different?
Drinking every day may not make you an alcoholic, but it still damages your body. Your liver, gastrointestinal tract, and brain all suffer negative consequences whenever you drink. But some people wonder if these effects are even worse when they binge drink. The experts don't agree on an answer to that question.
A 2009 study found that daily drinking was worse for the liver than occasional binge drinking. However, that study did not consider the many other physical effects that binge drinking has on the body. Other studies have found that consuming a large quantity of alcohol during a binge drinking episode ignites the body's inflammatory response, which in turn causes bowel irritation (one reason why people tend to get diarrhea after an alcohol binge) and can damage the heart muscle. Getting plastered on alcohol also impairs your nervous system—and your ability to make good decisions, such as not driving while intoxicated.
Economically, binge drinking costs America more than other forms of excessive alcohol use, such as heavy drinking.
How much drinking is too much?
Rather than asking whether binge drinking is worse than daily drinking for your health, ask how much alcohol—if any—is healthy for you, and under what circumstances drinking alcohol might be unhealthy.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend, if an adult chooses to drink, to do so in moderation. A 'drink' is 12 ounces of 5% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer, 5 ounces of 12% ABV wine, or 1.5 ounces of 40% (80 proof) liquor.
The moderate guideline for women is one drink or less per day; for men, it is two drinks or less per day. (These are not averages based on the number of drinks in a week or month.)
For healthy adults, sipping a glass of wine or drinking a single cocktail every day probably won't cause irreparable physical damage. Then again, neither might the occasional alcohol binge—though drinking to the point of blackout (unconsciousness, however brief) is never a good health choice.
But, many people have conditions like type 2 diabetes or liver disease that make alcohol consumption in any quantity, under any circumstances, an unhealthy choice. Similarly, certain medications interact badly with alcohol, which makes the question of daily drinking versus binge drinking irrelevant—neither option is healthy.
If you choose to drink in any amount under any circumstances, do so with the knowledge that all alcohol consumption has at least a modest negative effect on your body. And drinking excessively, whether once a month during a binge or regularly throughout the week, can impair your judgment and eventually cause liver scarring.
If you feel compelled to drink, have trouble stopping once you get started, or experience blackouts when you drink, see a professional to be evaluated for alcohol use disorder.
Source: https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/food-nutrition-and-diet/binge-drinking-vs-daily-drinking-whats-worse
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