Everyone knows that drinking alcohol is unhealthy since childhood. However, this does not stop billions of adults around the world from the "glasses" and the "goblet." There are widespread opinions that a little drink is even good for health, the main thing is to know your norm. Is there such a safe rate of alcohol consumption per capita and is it different in different countries?
How to calculate your rate
First you need to decide what state you want to achieve. To drink so that there is no hangover, harm to health or so as not to do stupid things? To calculate any of the norms, you need to know parameters such as height and weight. And also you need to know how much pure alcohol is contained in the drink. This is usually indicated on the bottle.
In order to avoid a killer hangover in the morning, you need to drink no more than 1.5 ml of pure ethyl alcohol per 1 kg of weight. That is, if a person weighs 60 kg, then his "hangover" rate will be 90 ml of pure ethyl alcohol.
To avoid toxic effects on the brain, you need to drink no more than 20 ml per day of pure ethyl alcohol. This is about 1 glass. If the intake of alcohol was one-time, then the brain will recover quite quickly, but with the systematic abuse of degenerative changes can not be avoided.
The amount of alcohol leading to alcoholism
And what is the norm of alcohol consumption per capita, so as not to sleep? If you consume more than 7 glasses of vodka or an equivalent alcoholic drink per week for a woman and more than 11 glasses per week for a man, then this is a direct road to alcoholism.
Indeed, only 8 liters per capita per year is a critical amount, and its excess makes us worry about the whole nation as a whole, as well as the state of its gene pool. The consumption of 12 liters per capita is already a national disaster, which slowly leads to the degradation of the whole nation.
Unfortunately, we significantly exceed this norm; in Russia, alcohol consumption per capita in 2015 was 15 liters. It is sad that only 11 liters of officially produced from them are about 6 liters of hard liquors, about 3 liters of beer and 1 liter of wine and other drinks. And what else the Russians consumed about 4 liters is not officially known.
Amount of alcohol consumption in different countries
And what about this in other countries? Attitude to alcohol in many respects depends on mentality, traditions, living standards and even climate, therefore it is not surprising that the amount of alcohol consumption per capita in different countries differs. There are many stereotypes in this regard, for example, that the most drinking countries are Russia, Georgia and Ireland.
The most “drinking” country, not only in Europe but also in the world, is, oddly enough, not Russia, but Belarus. On average, she “drank” more than 17 liters, almost half of which is strong alcohol. A little less was drunk in Moldova (16.8 liters) and Lithuania (15.4 liters). Leaders often change, previously the Czech Republic was in the lead with almost 17 liters, in the latest rating, consumption dropped to 13 liters.
The standard of living of the country does not always directly affect the excess of the norm. US alcohol consumption per capita is 9.44 liters. And in such underdeveloped countries as Nigeria and Namibia, not many are even higher - only 10 liters.
Accused of drunkenness, Ireland consumed about 11 liters roughly on a par with Spain and Portugal. In Georgia, on average, they drank less than 8 liters, which does not even exceed the dangerous norm. A high level of consumption of more than 11 liters can be considered. So not all stereotypes are justified.
Persons under the age of 15 do not participate in these calculations, since their drinking alcohol is illegal and poses a direct threat to life and the development of intelligence.
The rate of alcohol consumption per capita in the world
If you know the norm allowed by the World Health Organization, the amount of drink is even more terrifying. She determined consumption rates for men and women. For the calculation, a dose of alcohol containing 10 ml of ethyl alcohol, called "unit", is taken. For example, 1 unit is 90 ml of wine with a strength of 12%, 150 ml of champagne, 200 ml of beer or 12 ml of vodka. So, a woman is allowed to drink 2 such doses per day, and a man is already 3.
But you need to understand that these norms are conditional, and the following factors play an important role, in addition to gender:
- frequency of use;
- type of alcoholic drink;
- age;
- the state of the enzymatic apparatus;
- climate;
- the presence of chronic diseases.
A young man who lives in a southern country who drinks for the first time will undoubtedly get drunk faster than a 40-year-old northern man who has been drinking alcohol a little bit all his life. But on the other hand, the inhabitants of the north have a weaker enzymatic apparatus.
Health Ministry recommendations
The Ministry of Health recommends drinking alcohol no earlier than 21 years old, since before that the mechanisms of ethyl alcohol processing have not yet been formed in the human body. Until this age, there are no generally safe doses; any use of alcohol will cause irreparable harm to development. Most damage is caused to the following bodies:
- brain;
- pancreas;
- liver;
- heart.
So, if there are already problems with these organs, alcohol will only aggravate them. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol to people with chronic mental illnesses, it can provoke their exacerbation. Better yet, do not start drinking for those who know that it is hard for him to stop.
Healthy amounts of alcohol
Here, all doctors have a common opinion - there simply isn’t such a quantity. The risk of harm to health can be minimized by observing the norm and recommendations of the Ministry of Health, but it will never disappear. Any use of alcohol is harmful to health, and that is a fact.
But the norm of alcohol consumption per capita is considered the amount that causes the body such harm that it is able to at least somehow compensate without serious consequences. But the consequences, at least minimal and imperceptible at first glance, will always be. Therefore, only a complete rejection of alcohol will be most useful.
The opinion that alcohol in certain doses has a positive effect on blood circulation is a myth. This is nothing more than an excuse for drinkers. There are various medications that cope with this task, without harming the body and without causing addiction. Alcohol is the fastest way to make the body produce the hormone of joy - dopamine, but it is not the only one.