How much vodka per week is safe?

General health and lifestyle
1

I understand everyone has their own beliefs and thoughts on alcohol, but I'm really hoping for some honest non-judgemental insight. Beginning last April I've been having a glass or two of vodka once a week during the weekend. In October there was few weekends I drink three glasses, but over a seven hour period.

In the September/October time frame I ended up with hemorrhoids (bloody stool). Then again in February of this year I had another bloody stool, that at the time made me fearful of drinking any more so I stopped. As I began reading about how alcohol can lead to cancer and cause bloody stools, among other things.

Then earlier this month I finally saw a doctor who said that the hemorrhoids (that until that visit I didn't know I actually had) are natural in many men (I'm now 41). I briefly told the doctor about the alcohol and that I had stopped drinking for two months out of fear. I was told that it was fine that I stopping drinking for the time. When I asked if drinking some vodka on the weekends is safe in regard cancer, they said that was also fine as long as it was a reasonable amount.

The issue now is that all the information on various "expert" web sites I've found changes one article to the next. I've found some articles say that any amount of alcohol can lead to cancer, others say that a little alcohol a day is healthy. Then there are the articles that say this or that many units per week should not be exceeded.

The last article I looked at said, those over 40 have an increased risk of cancer and heart disease with drinking alcohol.

I'm to the point where I'm so overwhelmed by what I've read and what I've previously drank over the past year. That I'm worried about even looking at vodka, which is annoying as I really enjoy(ed) it once a week.

As for my overall health, I speed walk daily during breaks. I watch what I eat, eat white meat chicken, grains, vegetables. I do pretty well keeping my fat, sugar, and sodium, and cholosteral intake low. I take vitamin supplements. But I do snack, mostly on organic snacks, but occasionally on cookies or chips. Oh, and I have an occasional heart palpatation which I've had since my very earlier teens due to anxiety.

The vodka that I began enjoying one day a week last year, allows me to relax for a few hours. I just don't want that "relaxation" to be at the price of my health.

So, I'd be grateful for any insight on this! Oh and sorry for the long read, I didn't intend for it to be so involved,

Thank you!

Chris

2

Right, first off, no on is judgemental here (oh, apart from one person who shall remain nameless).

Secondly, a bit like you got contradictary answers from all the so called medical 'expert' sites, you will get the same here

Thirdly, we can start with the government figure off 14 units per week. When everyone has stopped laughing, I will carry on.

If you speak to you GP, their main concern, isn't so much the drinking, but where is it going to lead. As for alcohol causing cancer, leaving the front door in the morning will eventually give you cancer. Of course people over 40 are more at risk, there also more at risk of having heart attack, a stroke, dimentia, arthritis, dying, you name it. In 2013, about 44% of people in the UK got cancer during their lifetime, and this is projected to rise to 47% by 2020. (source:Macmillan chance support).

Vast amounts of alcohol will give you are higher risk of getting cancer, of course crossing the road more often, will increase your chance of getting run over, it is common sense.

Now, back to your actual drinking, as I read your post, we're talking up to three glasses of vodka, on one day at weekend, if it is more than that, please correct me. Working on the fact that no one ever drinks a single, they must be home doubles, which equates to a pub treble measure. That is three units, times three glasses is nine units, in the grand scheme of things, that is nothing, in fact I think some here, would put their hand up to saying, they'd had that amount by lunchtime before.

The only thing thing that would concern me, is your choice of drink. Vodka tastes of p*ss (it's my opinion and I'm entitled to it), in fact put with a mixer, it doesn't really taste of anything, you get an alcoholic buzz from it, not much in the taste department.

Compare that to say, finishing work on a Friday, early doors down the pub, after a hot summer's day in the office/warehouse and having a couple or three cold beers to cool you down. A couple of glasses of a nice bottle of red with your evening meal, or a couple of glasses of a malt whisky at the end of the night, just for medicinal purposes like. You actually get a taste hit with any of those, but not with vodka.

Just keep an eye on it, it is absolutely fine with the quantities you are currently consuming.

3

Cancer is mostly hereditary...yes we can do things determental to our health and bring it on.....but the amount you drink and your lifestyle habits do not seem like the way you are drinking would cause you to have cancer. 

If alcohol equaled cancer I would be dead by now....at 52 with a long history of alcohol ABUSE. 

​Contrarily, I knew a man in AA...that got diagnosed with cancer....and he could not emotionally handle the diagnosis and after a long period of time from NOT drinking...he began drinking again...He had all he chemo treatments...began drinking and smoking thru them...still came to AA to "report" his progress...and he went into remission!

​I told my mother...I had like 5 years sober at the time...that if I got diagnosed with cancer I was DRINKING...because he was the 2nd person that I knew of that fell off the wagon with a cancer diagnosis and went into remission....and they were not drinking just SMALL amounts.

​i don't think your 1x a week is harmful to you.....

4

Most people on here would be happy with a couple of vodkas once a week. You have nothing to worry about, unless you are not being completely honest with your alcohol intake. I, as RHGB said, have more than that every day before dinner. I would be over the moon with that alcohol intake per week.

If you really are worried about this then you're in the right place. Maybe just stop having the vodka and move on to beer. I wish you luck x

5

None is the safe limit. The rest is up to you to. Not really the answer you wanted sorry about that.

Truth is the more you drink the more you want, don't kid yourself man you can't beat it, stop now while you can.