newrobdob – Member
I’d be very concerned if for no other reason about getting to work in the morning. Having a full bottle the previous night I would have thought you’d be over the drink drive limit setting off for work in the morning.

As mentioned at the start of the thread, I’ve recently been drinking a similar amount. And last weekend I was the lucky recipient of a competition prize that involved going to Spain for five days to drive supercars every day. All expenses paid, and they took us out for flash dinners every night, and as you can imagine, a large amount of Rioja was put away.

Because of the cars we were breathalysed every morning. And every single person blew 0 every day. I was genuinely surprised, as there was at least one day I felt a bit dodgy and opted to be navigator for the morning, even though I was clear.

If alcohol were treated the same as other chemicals with similar human toxicity, the maximum exposure would be one glass of wine over the entire year – Prof David Nutt (quoted from memory but content is accurate)

Makes you think.

Because of the cars we were breathalysed every morning. And every single person blew 0 every day.

It’s almost as if there is a range of alcohol metabolism rates across the population, but the government has to tailor their drinking advice based on the very slowest metabolism.

Either that or the breathalysers were rigged.

OP, this thread sounds like you have an addictive personality, which may or may not be a bad thing depending on where you channel that focus; however the concern of mine (and probably others on here) is that if your current wine intake remains a constant, if that happens you will make yourself very ill.
I wouldn’t presume to know the answer but your GP may be a useful first place, if your liver/pancreas are struggling it can be a very sudden deterioration i.e. one day same as always, next day on close observation for a fortnight.

Even ignoring all the effects on your liver, blood glucose, brain, mental state etc etc:

1) How many calories are there in a bottle of wine? That amount of drinking would make me get fat very quickly.

2) How much are you spending on this habit? £6/bottle * 365 days = a brand new bike every 12 months.

Stop it at once. Duh.

This is an interesting topic for me as I guess I’m probably not too far off drinking to this level myself. It’s not every night, but it’s certainly more nights than it’s not. I can certainly stop when I want, but my trouble is that I just happen to like the taste of decent wine / beer, and have the financial means to buy it.

Had blood tests recently for other reasons and GP didn’t seem particularly worried.

If alcohol were treated the same as other chemicals with similar human toxicity, the maximum exposure would be one glass of wine over the entire year

It’s a strange toxic substance that increases life expectancy at low levels of consumption. A drink or two per day isn’t harmful for the average person. Moderate drinkers (up to around 4 drinks per day) live longer than teetotalers.

https://health.spectator.co.uk/the-great-alcohol-cover-up-how-public-health-bodies-hid-the-truth-about-drinking/

Just the one bottle a day?

Lightweight!

😀

I was initially going to respond, like many others, by saying that a bottle a night is too much. Having read all the comments though I. now come down on the side of the OP. He isn’t drinking because he’s miserable or upset or addicted to alcohol or for some other hidden reason. He is drinking because he really likes wine which is fair enough. It’s a great drink.

I don’t often drink spirits, and though I enjoy beer it wouldn’t depress me much if I never had another. However there are so many lovely wines out there I would hate to have to stop drinking the stuff. The whole history and science behind it is fascinating too.

I should add the caveat though that drinking a bottle a day for the rest of your life isn’t smart, but he seems very well aware of the fact.

Reading the thread has actually made me want a glass of wine, rather than putting me off.

The official research advice here is probably just as good as the government’s.

Cheers!

It’s a strange toxic substance that increases life expectancy at low levels of consumption. A drink or two per day isn’t harmful for the average person. Moderate drinkers (up to around 4 drinks per day) live longer than teetotalers.

Hasn’t this been debunked or at least heavily questioned as a chicken/egg type issue? Is the overall lifestyle (affluence, social class, education, access to good medical care, overall dietary intake, stress levels and attitudes to life in general, lifelong stable partnership) of the sort of person that typically drinks a glass of red wine a day the influencing factor rather than the actual glass of wine? i.e. the sort of person who drinks a glass of red wine a day has got life pretty sorted and accordingly lives longer.

I was initially going to respond, like many others, by saying that a bottle a night is too much. Having read all the comments though I. now come down on the side of the OP. He isn’t drinking because he’s miserable or upset or addicted to alcohol or for some other hidden reason. He is drinking because he really likes wine which is fair enough. It’s a great drink.

That’s one way of looking at it.
I look at it as a bottle a night every night regardless of the state of mind.

Even ignoring all the effects on your liver, blood glucose, brain, mental state etc etc:

1) How many calories are there in a bottle of wine? That amount of drinking would make me get fat very quickly.

2) How much are you spending on this habit? £6/bottle * 365 days = a brand new bike every 12 months.

Stop it at once. Duh.

You were doing well there, getting you point across, and giving a relevant reason to cut down, Spoilt it with the usual STW sign off. Just can’t help yourself, can you.

You were doing well there, getting you point across, and giving a relevant reason to cut down, Spoilt it with the usual STW sign off. Just can’t help yourself, can you.

Isn’t “Just can’t help yourself, can you?” a typical STW sign off too?

You were doing well there, getting you point across, and giving a relevant reason to cut down, Spoilt it with the usual STW sign off. Just can’t help yourself, can you.

It wasn’t my intention to come across as pious. My (perhaps not obvious) point was that the OP can clearly do what he likes, but there is no rational reason to drink that much. When the arguments are put down in text form there’s only one answer (hence “duh”). Drinking that much is bad for one’s health /wallet /waistline but the OP clearly enjoys it so he has to weigh up whether it’s worth it for him. I wonder why he asked us though – was he expecting us to collectively endorse his decision?

Why did you ask if you don’t want to accept the answer OP?

OP here checking in.

chakaping – Member
Why did you ask if you don’t want to accept the answer OP?

Who said I didn’t want to accept an answer? As I’ve been enjoying it, and not experienced any negatives I thought I’d throw it out for discussion. My gut feeling tells me it’s probably a little much, and the general consensus here appears to agree…

So after tonight I’m cutting out weekday wine.

1) How many calories are there in a bottle of wine? That amount of drinking would make me get fat very quickly.

Well here’s the thing. I’m currently on a kind of Paleo/Keto diet. Very low carbs, and lots of exercise. So as far as getting fat goes… quite the opposite. Even with the wine.

2) How much are you spending on this habit? £6/bottle * 365 days = a brand new bike every 12 months.

Well here’s the thing. I’m not going out at the moment. When I go out I can easily spend £80-£100. So let’s say a bottle of wine is £7 x 7 = £49. Assuming one has a night out once a week. I’m up!

Now, where’s the bottle opener…

So after tonight I’m cutting out weekday wine.

Are you an all or nothing kind of guy? A bottle a night to 5 dry nights is a big change. A glass a night if you fancy it not a possible half way house? Feast or famine never seems like a good plan unless you simply can’t trust yourself.. For a while I couldn’t trust myself to have whisky in the house as an open bottle would never last a week. I seem better able to take it or leave it now. An acid reflux problem brought on by spirits sorted that out.

Only worry when you’re on to the third bottle

Touched on this a few times in life, but as i’ve got older, i simply can’t do it without a thick head.

One of the most important things you have to think about apart from health is, if you consume 10 units in a night, then you still have alcohol in your system 11 hours later (friend on drink-drive course said they calculate as being an hour for every unit plus 1 hour from last drink)

So if you’re driving a car within 11 hours of last drink, you may be over limit or on edge.. so even without health aspects, licence may be in danger?

Its enough to do serious damage to your body.

Hasn’t this been debunked or at least heavily questioned as a chicken/egg type issue? Is the overall lifestyle (affluence, social class, education, access to good medical care, overall dietary intake, stress levels and attitudes to life in general, lifelong stable partnership) of the sort of person that typically drinks a glass of red wine a day the influencing factor rather than the actual glass of wine? i.e. the sort of person who drinks a glass of red wine a day has got life pretty sorted and accordingly lives longer.

If that’s the case, then it means being the kind of person that’s drinking those amounts will do you more good than the alcohol will harm you, and/or the effect of alcohol in those quantities is negligible.

It may do harm long term, but no one is talking about getting rid of other things that do them harm – if you drive to work have you thought of how much healthier you would be if you ran or cycled in? And yet you continue to spend how much on a car?

OP, if you enjoy it, then continue to do so. It might not be optimal in health terms, but few things are and the statistics are quite fuzzy. Plus you’re only leaving this world one way, you might as well enjoy your time here.

I have known a few alcoholics in my life and I have been amazed at the amount of abuse the body can withstand over a prolonged period . It can also go some way to healing itself when they stop drinking . A bottle of wine a night isn’t going to do you long term damage unless you continue for many years . The danger can be that it becomes 2 bottles a night sometimes or it’s a bottle a night plus a couple of nights out as well and you’re easily on that slippery slope . iANAD by the way .

A bottle of wine a night isn’t going to do you long term damage unless you continue for many years

Bad advice.

iANAD by the way

No kidding.

So tonight I have a a Merlot…

does not compute with;

. I remember doing this years ago when I was working in a high-end restaurant. I just got really into wine

No mention of terroir, no mention of year, no mention of the temperature you drank it at, not even the region! You need help!

I’m not sure that not going out with friends at the moment, and instead staying in for an evening of film and wine is particularly a good thing? Saying that, if you can turn it off again and go back to drinking a ‘normal’ amount then it obviously hasn’t got a grip on you. If you’re happy in your life then surely that’s a good thing? I personally couldn’t do it but then I’m a lightweight.

Did anyone else start reading the Allen Carr book referred to in here? In the book he asks you don’t give up drinking whilst reading it. However, I’m half way through and for the last few days I’ve found my self either thinking about having a glass of beer or wine and then not, or getting half way through one before I don’t want anymore.

E.G. I quite fancy one beer tonight after the kids are in bed. However I know I’m doing a training ride at 7am, and am caught in indecision.

Its horrible!