Drinking alcohol properly during the Tet holiday season, things to note

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Senior Doctor, Specialist II Doan Du Dat - General Internal Medicine - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.
On the occasion of Tet holidays, the amount of alcohol consumed increases significantly because these are indispensable drinks during the holidays and summer festivals. However, when drinking alcohol on New Year's Day, everyone knows that this is a very harmful drink to health if abused excessively. Therefore, drinking alcohol on Tet holiday should be noted in moderation to ensure your health.

1. How to drink alcohol safely on Tet holiday

When it comes to the harmful effects of drinking a lot of alcohol, people often think of traffic accidents and behavioral disorders, but in fact, drinking alcohol also brings many diverse and complex harms. more complicated.
The abuse of alcohol on New Year's Day or any other day of the year is easy to cause drinkers to suffer from diseases related to the digestive tract, liver damage, acute gastritis, acute pancreatitis... Alcohol affects Great for stomach health, if we drink alcohol on an empty stomach, the alcohol will go straight into the bloodstream. According to statistics, people who regularly drink alcohol on an empty stomach can lead to ulcers and stomach bleeding. In fact, 20% of alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine. In addition, some cases of drinking a lot of alcohol, especially alcohol of unsafe origin, can lead to methanol poisoning, vision disturbances, coma and even multi-organ failure.
90 - 95% of alcohol after drinking into the body will be transported to the liver for "processing". In the liver, the alcohol in alcohol is oxidized to water and carbon dioxide. However, the liver cannot metabolize alcohol indefinitely, the liver can only ensure the complete metabolism of about 2 units of alcohol per day, so if we drink more alcohol than our liver can, will be overloaded and cannot be converted at all.
Alcohol has a huge impact on the nervous system and the ability to control behavior. That impact depends much on the increase in blood alcohol concentration, leading to excitement, agitation, loss of behavioral control...
Each person has a certain alcohol threshold, if it exceeds 50g of alcohol during the day is not good for health, then the organs in the body have to work more than usual, leading to the symptoms of underlying diseases also greatly increase. Therefore, drinking alcohol on New Year's Day should also be limited, not because it's too fun, but drink continuously for many days, creating conditions for the body to have enough time to eliminate toxins.
Besides, for alcohol with Acetaldehyde component - this is an ingredient that evaporates before alcohol, but some alcohols, especially hand-cooked alcohol, Acetaldehyde cannot evaporate completely, there is still a small amount of Acetaldehyde Backlog causes digestive disorders, disorders of fat metabolism in the liver, causes fatty liver, hepatitis, even liver cancer... Therefore, the safe way to drink alcohol on Tet holiday is not to exceed 50g of alcohol per day. days (for alcohol) and must have a rest period, for beer, do not drink more than 1 can.
Previously, there was a concept that drinking wine was less toxic, but if the amount of wine you drink is too much, the amount of alcohol entering the body will still be proportional, even though the wine is only about 10-12 degrees of alcohol. Drinking too much is still toxic. Therefore, the safe way to drink alcohol for all alcoholic beverages is to calculate the alcohol content and note the dosage.
Limit alcohol consumption is probably one of the messages that is repeated over and over in most social activities. Remember that once you have used alcohol, there is no safe threshold. In the case of alcohol consumption, it is best not to drink more than 2 units of alcohol per day for men, 1 unit of alcohol for women and no more than 5 days per week. Accordingly, 1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to about 10g of pure alcohol contained in the drinking solution. Thus, 1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to about 3⁄4 bottles or cans of beer with a capacity of 330ml (5%), 1 cup of draft beer 330ml (Beer depending on the type contains 1 - 12% alcohol, usually around 5 % Low alcohol beers (or non-alcoholic beers) usually have an alcohol content of 0.05 - 1.2%).1 glass of 100ml wine (13.5%) or 1 cup of spirits 30ml (40%). Drinking alcohol is not harmful to health also depends on the tolerance of each person, some people drink a lot to get drunk, some people drink very little, they get drunk. Do not drink more than the prescribed limit for health. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center and published in the journal Scientific Reports, "any type of alcohol," meaning anything from beer to wine to spirits — as long as it's just two drinks. The taste of alcohol per day (equivalent to about 350ml of beer, 150ml of wine, 44ml of spirits) is not harmful to health.

2. How to protect health when drinking a lot of alcohol on this occasion?

There is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and evidence shows that even very small amounts of alcohol can have certain health risks and consequences. Drinking alcohol on New Year's Day is indispensable, but to protect the health of ourselves and our families, we need to be conscious when using alcohol:
Control alcohol intake at a risk level as low as possible in one drink; Choose wines and beers of clear origin and quality assurance; After drinking, should not participate in outdoor activities or activities in dangerous and unsafe places due to the risk of falls, collisions, injuries..., do not drive vehicles after drinking alcohol even though drinking very little; Not drinking alcohol on an empty stomach will irritate the stomach, leading to stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding. Therefore, before drinking alcohol should drink filtered water, fruit juice, soup, broth, especially should eat green vegetables that have the effect of reducing alcohol concentration in alcohol; Do not drink a lot of alcohol in a day, even drink a little from each place, drink scattered throughout the day. After drinking alcohol, drink a glass of filtered water, eat a little starch, protein will slow down the absorption of alcohol. People who drink alcohol will be less drunk, can eat more fruits such as grapefruit, oranges to help slow down the absorption of alcohol into the body; Do not drink alcohol when driving motor vehicles, operating machinery, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with medical conditions where alcohol can make the disease worse; When drinking alcohol, do not participate in activities outside or in dangerous and unsafe areas because of the risk of falls, collisions, injuries ... In which, drinkers are great. for not participating in traffic in any way; Only use alcohol of clear origin and must ensure quality. Drinking alcohol is not harmful to health also depends on the tolerance of each person, some people drink a lot to get drunk, some people drink very little, they get drunk. Do not drink more than the prescribed limit for health. >> See also: Food to strengthen and protect liver function Kanzou Ukon: Ingredients, uses and instructions for use - Article by Pharmacist Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital

3. Things to keep in mind when drinking alcohol during Tet

To avoid harm to health, when using alcohol, you need to pay attention:
Do not drink alcohol containing industrial alcohol or alcohol with Methanol content more than 0.1% because of the danger to health (may cause harm to health). blindness), even death. Therefore, it is necessary to drink alcohol to know the origin. Do not drink alcohol with an alcohol concentration of 30 degrees or more exceeding 30ml/person/day; Do not drink alcohol soaked with leaves, roots, animal organs but the toxicity is not clearly determined, do not drink alcohol soaked according to personal experience; Do not drink alcohol when the type of alcohol is unknown, the origin is unknown, the quality standards of alcohol are not met, do not drink when hungry, when tired or while taking medication; Children under the age of 16 years old are not allowed to drink alcohol.

4. Need to know how to calculate alcohol units in wine and beer

Alcohol unit = Capacity(ml) x concentration (%) x 0.79(conversion factor)
For example, a 330ml beer bottle and 5% alcohol content will have the number of grams of alcohol as:
330 x 0.05 x 0.79 = 13g; equivalent to 1.3 alcohol units.
Thus, one unit of alcohol is equivalent to:
- 3/4 bottle or 3/4 can of 330 ml beer (5%);
- One 330 ml (4%) draft beer;
- A glass of wine 100 ml (13.5%);
From there, we can know the appropriate dose of alcohol to avoid health effects. But it also depends on the health status of each person, especially those with underlying medical conditions, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, etc., should limit alcohol as much as possible. Those who can't drink alcohol should not be too happy, respect you, and try to drink. People who are performing state duties, driving... should not drink alcohol. There should be a culture in drinking alcohol, should not force each other to drink too much, which damages health and affects society.
Wine and beer are indispensable drinks during Tet holidays. However, to minimize the risk of affecting health, you should only drink in moderation, choose alcohol of clear origin and build a healthy diet.