Is half a bottle of wine a binge?

WOMEN AND ALCOHOL: THE FACTS
“The benefits of alcohol are going to vary by individual, depending on genes and lifestyle,” explains Samir Zakhari, director of metabolic research at the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. “But the risks — which we know much more about — are a lot higher for women.” Here’s what we know — and what we don’t — about how alcohol affects the female body:
GENDER BENDERS
If two people, of opposite genders but equal weight, drink the same amount and type of alcohol, the woman will get drunker, and stay that way longer. The reasons come down to basic physiology: alcohol passes through the digestive tract and is dispersed in the body’s water. Because women
always have less water in their bodies, the alcohol is less dilute for them. Women’s bodies also produce less alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) — the molecule responsible for breaking alcohol down so that the body can eliminate it. Less water and less ADH mean more alcohol stays in the body, and for longer.
In the long term, women are more likely than men to develop alcohol-related liver disease and brain damage. And women are just as likely to develop alcohol-related heart disease as men, even though they still tend to drink less over a lifetime.
Intoxicated women are also far more likely to be the victims of date rape or sexual assault than men. And they are more prone to alcohol-induced blackouts, which can make reporting such attacks difficult.
IN VINO VERITAS?
One of the biggest misconceptions that women fall prey to is the idea that wine is a safer, healthier choice than fattening, masculine beer. While wine has some appealing constituents that other alcoholic beverages do not (namely, antioxidants), most experts say it’s a myth that wine is healthier. The alcohol content of wine far outweighs the benefits of these other ingredients.
BREAST CANCER CAVEAT
As for the link between alcohol and breast cancer, studies show that drinking, on average, one unit of alcohol per day can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer by about 6%. Research has also indicated that women who drink heavily (three glasses a day or more) face a 30% higher risk of breast cancer. “The bottom line is that women who are genetically predisposed to breast cancer should drink less if they want to be on the safe side,” says Zakhari.
BABIES AND THE BOTTLE
It’s no secret that drinking while pregnant can threaten the health of your unborn child. The risk of fetal alcohol syndrome has long been tied to excessive alcohol consumption during the first trimester of pregnancy, when organs and body features are still developing. That said, many women drink a glass of wine or two during their pregnancy, and there is no hard evidence to suggest that moderate consumption is harmful. In May last year, the government changed its advice to recommend that pregnant women abstain from drinking. But as this advice was based on no new research, the picture is still confusing. Indeed, around the same time, the NHS advisory body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, issued draft guidance saying it was okay to drink small amounts, and recent research at UCL suggests that children born to light drinkers during pregnancy were less likely to have behavioural or cognitive problems or be hyperactive.
AN ELIXIR OF YOUTH?
More research is needed before doctors can say whether alcohol does, in fact, reduce your chances of suffering from type 2 diabetes or dementia. But most experts do agree that a drink a day can offer at least some protection against cardiovascular disease, particularly for the over-fifties.
However, ageing reduces our tolerance for alcohol, most likely because it also reduces the amount of water in our bodies. Studies have shown that older adults reach higher blood-alcohol levels than younger people consuming the same amount. So reaching the half-century mark doesn’t necessarily mean you should party like a rock star. Moderation is still key, at any age.
WHAT’S A WISE WOMAN TO DO?
Take a look at the official guidelines and compare them honestly with your own consumption. The department of health’s guidelines state that women can drink between two to three units a day with a standard glass of wine being two units, and one large glass amounting to three units.
In the UK, an estimated 4m women drink more than the recommended level. While the potential benefits of moderate drinking may be equal for both sexes, the risks are higher for women, which means that women need to be more cautious than men.

nialo wrote: »

Half a bottle is a sin! if your going to open it you have to finish it! as for being a binge well drinking a very good bottle of wine could never be consider a binge, only an act of pleasure! drinking poor wine mite as well be a binge...