Alcohol units

[Farrandeelin]

What, i.e. how much is an alcohol unit? How long does it take for 1 of these to leave your body? Just wondering cos I'm filled as high as I can go...

[ziggysego]

http://www.at-bristol.org.uk/Alcoholandyou/Facts/units.html

[Lar Naparka]

It is generally held that 3 to 4 units a day is the maximum safe amount for a male to imbibe. (I love that word!) Women should limit their intake to 2 or 3 units daily.
So far so good.

However, a top neurosurgeon at Tallaght Hospital told me that the commonly accepted limits above can be exceeded by most men and women quite safely.
“Bloody oul’ wans in research laboratories that never touch a drop at all,” was the reason for such low limits, according to this fella.
He did stress that it really was up to each individual to find his or her own limits and to be aware of the fact that some drinks can be more potent than others- for some people anyway.
Some time later I brought up the same subject with another brain specialist and got more or less the same answer. The 21-28 limits are catch all figures and refer to males in general. A healthy and active 6’ male can lorry twice as much gargle as 5’ one who is a couch potato.
Both specialists stressed that binge drinking can have serious long-term effects that will only show after years have passed. Both also stressed that one should have food in the stomach before drinking. Rum for most can have unpleasant side effects because that drink is loaded with cogeners- natural impurities sin the drink itself.
A unit is commonly regarded as taking a half hour for the system to break down but again it’s only a rule of thumb. Your rate of metabolism, physique and the presence or absence of grub in the stomach are some factors that affect the breakdown rate.
It all seems to boil down to the individual concerned as I was told by both.
My GP (a bloody teetotaller) warned me stay clear of any drink because of brain traumas but again both consultants told me to stay within sensible limits (2 pints or so in my case) because the therapeutic effects of a few jars will far outweigh the negative effects of taking same.
Guess which advice I take.