Healthy Aging: If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation
It is recommended that men have no more than two drinks per day and that women have no more than one drink per day. The differences in the recommended amounts are due to differences in body weight and metabolism in men and women.
What counts as a drink:
* 1 bottle (12 ounces) of beer
* 1 glass (5 ounces) of wine
* 1 shot (1.5 ounces) of hard liquor (80-proof)
What are the potentially harmful effects of drinking too much alcohol?
* Drinking too much can increase your risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
* Drinking too much may increase your risk for breast cancer (women), colorectal cancer, and liver cancer, and has been shown to increase risk for cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, and mouth.
* Excessive alcohol increases the risk of falls in older adults.
* Do not drink and drive. Alcohol causes many unnecessary fatal car accidents every year.