Go ahead, drink a little (but not a lot)
People who down one or two drinks per day have a higher risk of getting cancer in the mouth, esophagus, breasts and intestines than non-drinkers, said Jo hee-kyeong, a doctor at Konkuk University Hospital.
“There is research that shows that women who drink a glass of alcohol every day have an 11 percent higher chance of getting a breast cancer than those who do not drink,” Jo said. “The danger of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases along with the intake of alcohol.”
The basic rules are still the same, however: a moderate amount of drinking can be healthy, but too much is dangerous. That rule applies to every kind of alcohol.
Even wine and traditional alcohol that has medicinal properties can be poisonous when too much is consumed.
Still, Korea has a reputation for heavy drinking.
An estimated 2.2 million people in Korea have a heavy dependence on alcohol.
So, what is considered a “moderate intake of alcohol?”
The Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry recently reported new guidelines for moderate drinking.
The academy recommends that men consume less than 24 grams a day (.8 ounces) and that women and the elderly drink less than 15 grams.
The guideline suggests not drinking more than three times a week.
Twenty-four grams of alcohol is equivalent to three small glasses of soju, two cans of beer, two glasses of wine or two glasses of liquor.
In the case of wine, a glass should only be filled one-third of the way.
“Women hold less water in their bodies than men, while they have higher level of fatty tissues,” said Lee Hae Kook, a professor of psychiatry at Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital. “Also, they have half of the enzymes that break down alcohol that men have. Therefore, women should drink half of what men drink.”
Women are more likely to be diagnosed with liver and pancreatic diseases than men, even when they consume less alcohol for a shorter period of time.
Also, men and woman older than 65 should consume half the amount of alcohol because the water in their body decreases with age.
The daily moderate amount recommended to Koreans is similar to the recommended amount for Americans, which is 24 to 28 grams for men and 12 to 14 for women.
However, the recommended amount is lower than Australia’s 40 grams for men and 20 grams for women and Japan’s 39.5 grams for men.
The best benefit from moderate drinking is the prevention of heart disease.
Drinking half a glass of alcohol, or 6 to 7 grams, protects the heart, researchers have found.
In certain studies, researchers have found that moderate drinkers have a one-third less chance of getting diagnosed with diabetes than non-drinkers. However, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol increases the risk of contracting diabetes-related complications.
Moderate drinking is also known to prevent osteoporosis.
Research conducted in the United States on women with menopause found that those who drink moderately still have a higher bone density in their vertebrae than non-drinkers.
“Alcohol intake stimulates the production of female hormones, which results in a reduced risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures,” said Roh Young-kyun, a doctor at the Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital. “However, heavy drinking or chronic alcohol abuse have the opposite effects, because it lowers the bone density.”
The benefits also extend to mental health.
“Consuming alcohol in moderation appropriately stimulates the central nerve system, which reduces stress and anxiety. It also helps sexual activities,” said Oh Dong-yeol, the executive director of the Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.
In spite all of those benefits, moderate drinking should not be considered the solution to every health problem. Even the smallest quantity of alcohol affects the body.
One of the biggest concerns is drunk driving.
When a man weighing 70-77 kilograms (154-169 pounds) takes in two glasses of alcohol on an empty stomach, the alcohol concentration in the blood gets to be about 0.05 percent.
Although a driver may still be allowed to drive, his ability would be lower than normal.
A study showed that the danger of death from a car accident was between 2.6 and 4.6 times higher than non-drinkers for drivers whose alcohol concentration in the blood was between 0.02 and 0.04 percent.
By Park Tae-kyun JoongAng Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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