What Is ‘Moderation’?

If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, what amount is safe for your health?

There is no clear answer to this question. But health experts agree on a few points:

If you don’t drink now, there is no reason to start. Moreover, if you are concerned about coronary disease, there are better ways to lower your risk than by consuming alcohol, says Dr. Ernest P. Noble of UCLA. These include diet, exercise, stress management and medications.

For people who already consume one or two drinks a day or less, the majority of health experts believe that, devoid of other risk factors, these individuals should probably not be discouraged from doing so.

According to standards used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, “moderate” drinking is no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for most men. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled liquor.

Noble, who has spent 30 years in the field of alcohol research, suggests more stringent guidelines. He says abstinence is best for:

* People with a family history of alcoholism.

* Alcoholics or recovering alcoholics.

* People under age 21.

* Pregnant and nursing women, as well as women trying to conceive.

* People who operate any type of machinery or are involved in public safety.

* Athletes trying to achieve maximum performance.

* People who perform complex mental tasks and negotiations.

* Individuals who have a medical problem or take medications.

* People with psychiatric problems or who experience severe psychological stress.

For optimum health, Noble suggests that men limit their alcohol intake to three drinks a week or less and not all on the same day. Women should limit alcohol to two drinks a week or less.