OH! Magazine - Australian Version May 2018 | Page 13

( Nutrition )
ALCOHOL:
IT'S NOT JUST KILOJOULES
TO WORRY ABOUT
Ashleigh Feltham explores the health impact of alcohol.
rinking a glass of wine after a long
day, or heading to the pub with
mates after work is often considered part
of our culture; but is it dangerous to your
health? If you're drinking above the
recommended standard drink/s for you
gender, it certainly can be.
D
Energy per gram of alcohol sits just below
fat, at 29kJ or 6.9 calories per gram
compared to fat, which has 37kJ or 8.8
calories per gram. It's important to
understand that alcohol is not calorie free
and the term 'beer gut' does have merit to
its meaning. Having a beer gut increases
your risk of many lifestyle diseases
including heart disease, type 2 diabetes
and metabolic syndrome. Therefore,
having a lifestyle where you drink more
than the recommended maximum of
standard drinks per day will also increase
your risk of cancers, such as breast,
oesophageal,
lung,
gastric,
and
endometrial to name a few.
But, it's not all bad news! There is
moderate evidence that drinking within
the recommended maximum standard
drinks can reduce your risk of some
diseases including heart disease.
It's important to note that we're all
different and must, therefore, consider
our whole health profile when and if we
choose to drink. For example, women who
are pregnant are encouraged not to drink
any alcohol. Similarly, if you have high
blood pressure limiting or not drinking
alcohol is also recommended.
About now, you may be thinking 'what is
the recommended amount I can drink to
reduce the risk to my health?' Firstly, a
standard drink is 10g of alcohol, so if you
do choose to indulge then for men, the
recommended maximum amount of
alcohol is two standard drinks a day, and
one standard drink a day for women.
Sometimes we drink more than this, but
if it's only an infrequent occurrence, and
equals no more than four standard drinks,
then it can be considered okay; but
should it become a habit, then here are a
list of beverages and the number of
standard drinks that they equate to.
Beer
Full strength (4.8% alcohol volume)
• 285ml glass = 1.1 standard drinks
• 375ml bottle or can = 1.4 standard
drinks
• 425ml glass = 1.6 standard drinks
• 24 x 375ml case = 34 standard
drinks
Mid strength (3.5% alcohol volume)
• 285ml glass = 0.8 standard drinks
• 375ml bottle or can = 1 standard
drink
• 425ml glass = 1.2 standard drinks
• 24 x 375ml case = 24 standard
drinks
Low strength (2.7% alcohol volume)
• 285ml glass = 0.6 standard drinks
• 375ml bottle or can = 0.8 standard
drinks
• 425ml glass = 0.9 standard drinks
•
ASHLEIGH
FELTHAM
YOU CAN CONTACT ASHLEIGH VIA:
Web: feedyourfuturedietetics.com
Facebook: FeedYourFutureDietetics
Instagram: @feedyourfuturedietetics
24 x 375ml case = 19 standard
drinks
Wine
Red wine (13% alcohol volume)
• 100ml standard serve - 1 standard
drink
• 150ml average restaurant serving =
1.5 standard drinks
• 750ml bottle = 7.7 standard drinks
White wine (11.5% alcohol volume)
• 100ml standard serve = 0.9 standard
drink
• 150ml average restaurant serving =
1.4 standard drinks
• 750ml bottle = 6.8 standard drinks
Champagne (12% alcohol volume)
• 150ml average restaurant serving =
1.4 standard drinks
• 750ml bottle = 7.1 standard drinks
Port (17.5% alcohol volume)
• 60ml standard serve = 0.8 standard
drinks
• 2L cask = 28 standard drinks
Take home message
If you choose to drink, drink to enjoy the
occasion and not to become completely
wasted. The taste should be enjoyed but
just like a special treat like chocolate it is
best enjoyed in moderation. Take the time
to enjoy each sip and by savouring the
moment and the flavour, you may find it is
easier to enjoy alcohol within the
recommended limits.
OH! MAGAZINE ( MAY 2018 )
13