Navigating Alcohol and Health
We live in a cultural climate that looks to alcohol for stress management, sleep initiation, and social bonding. As a stress management tool and a sleep inducer, alcohol is undoubtedly a suboptimal choice, and ethanol is undoubtedly a toxin. However, in a society that also suffers epidemic proportions and immeasurable effects of loneliness, the pro-social effects of booze may be significant for some people in reducing isolation. Developing more effective skills and strategies to address stress and sleep challenges is critical for long-term health. Addressing these core needs first may be the number one strategy for enjoying alcohol within healthy limits, but that’s a complex lifestyle skill and not an actionable tip suitable for a blog.
There’s a popular myth in drinking crowds that “moderate alcohol” is good for your health. Don’t be fooled, folks. They are referring to a correlation between moderate drinking and reduced disease risk. Yes, that correlation is well established in the research, but there are numerous reasons why jumping to the conclusion that moderate drinking is beneficial or protective of health is misguided.* Here are two reasons that stood out to me. First, remember that moderate drinkers are a diverse category, including anyone drinking under seven drinks per week. It includes the weekend warriors who drink seven drinks on a Saturday night and the people who have two drinks per week, let’s say one on Friday after work and another at brunch on Sunday. These two patterns will have wildly different effects, and, in the aggregate, a moderate reduction in risk is a likely finding, but it doesn’t mean that binge drinkers and two-drinks-per-week drinkers have the same experiences of wellness or similar disease risk. Secondly, moderate drinkers tend to be of higher socioeconomic standing than the other groups of study participants. This comes with greater access to wellness and a higher likelihood that other aspects of lifestyle are present to mitigate the effect of regular alcohol usage, such as a nutrient-dense diet and regular physical activity. All this is to say, don’t be misguided by the correlation found in the research. Ethanol is a toxin. There’s no bones about it.
Here are seven tips to minimize the effect of alcohol on your body:
7. Don’t Binge. Giving your body a manageable dose of toxin at a time and a break in between has far fewer consequences than an overflow dose that does lots of damage. Spread your drinks over time as much as you can.
6. Stay Hydrated - ample water dilutes the toxins and helps the liver process and clear them.
5. Eat - and don't skip the carbs. Carbs help slow the entrance of ethanol into the bloodstream, dampening the highest levels.
4. Be dosage aware - many bars dilute their booze, and most restaurants won't pour you 5 oz wine for fear of looking stingy. Unless you're measuring, the home-poured drink will usually be a more generous serving.
3. Minimize toxins - alcohol brings inherently toxic ethanol. Different types come with different additional toxins. Many additives are involved in wine processing, and grapes are heavily sprayed. Well-liquor is not as filtered as higher-quality choices, which can heavily impact your body’s overall experience. Alcohol is frequently mixed with sugary, toxin-laden mixers such as soda. Keep your drinks as clean and neat as possible to avoid over-taxing your liver.
2. Maximize benefits - are you choosing moments that maximize the positive, pro-social effects of alcohol?
1. Protect Your Sleep
To get the best sleep we can, it’s important that we clear ethanol beforehand. This means getting used to drinking early instead of late and getting clear on how long you, as a unique individual, need to clear a drink. Sex, age, and health status are big influencers of this equation, so how long it takes will be different at different life stages. Studies show that males typically process alcohol more quickly than females by about an hour. As a basic reference, Peter Attia (a healthy, male, longevity-focused doctor) says he needs and therefore recommends 3 hours to process a drink before bed. I need more like 4 to 4.5 hours. Another major influencer will be sugar management since ethanol and sugar break down along similar pathways. People with suboptimal blood sugar dynamics, insulin regulation, or other liver/pancreatic challenges are likely to struggle more than average with ethanol breakdown. Bottom line - if you’re going to drink, protect your sleep by drinking early. Ironically, the “it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere” adage may actually serve you well.
Hang on. How do I know I’m protecting my sleep?
As with most things wellness, no answer’s right for everybody. Tech gadgets like the Oura ring can be invaluable tools if you can afford it (about $400), but the gold standard is specific self-study. Here’s a quick rundown of how to study your processing time for an evening drink.
Dry out to establish your alcohol-free baseline and get familiar with what this feels like. A month (January or other) is perfect.
Have one drink in the evening and note specific effects in the morning.
Have the same drink earlier and earlier on subsequent days until you wake up feeling like you didn’t drink at all. You now have your drink processing time. Mind that time will go up with more than one drink or a drink with a higher dose, but you’ll have a benchmark understanding to work from.
Gotta run, folks. It’s my happy hour. 🥃
*Thanks to Peter Attia’s critical review of the research in various articles and podcast episodes for helping me recognize these gaps.