Part 5 | My personal thoughts on alcohol consumption

The following article is about alcohol consumption—I'm referring to light alcohol consumption here. Conspicuous drinking behavior that harms oneself and others must be treated. If you're affected, you can find help here: Link

Below is my personal opinion - not a statement of fact!

Alcohol consumption, in any amount, is not healthy. Not even an eighth of red wine. And even though my Grandma Amalie drank an eighth of red wine every day and lived to be over 90, that's no proof that alcohol isn't harmful.

But I also believe that there are so many other factors that contribute to a healthy, long life that aren't being discussed. I think, at the end of the day, it's all about taking stock: How much exercise am I getting? Am I drinking enough water? Am I getting enough fresh air? Am I happy and content? Etc., etc., etc.

If someone treats themselves to a glass of red wine every day, but otherwise leads a healthy lifestyle, including getting enough exercise, fresh air, drinking plenty of water, eating little red meat, cooking fresh food every day, eating vegetables and fruit, AND experiencing happiness and contentment, AND feeling connected to loved ones—then surely this person is actually leading a relatively healthy life? But: daily alcohol consumption is problematic in my opinion and could be a sign of an addiction.

But what about the person who doesn't drink a drop of alcohol, doesn't smoke, but works 10 hours sitting down in an office with little natural light, survives on energy drinks, fruit juices, and coffee, grabs a ready-made meal from the freezer on the way home, and spends the evening alone in front of the TV? That doesn't sound so healthy to me.

Each of us has to decide for ourselves what risks we're willing to take. For me, alcohol is a pleasure that I enjoy. So, I derive a benefit from alcohol consumption and am willing to take the risk. And no, I definitely don't mean getting completely drunk by benefit!

Others benefit greatly from regular long-distance travel and are willing to take the risks of air travel (I don't mean the risk of crashing, but rather the exposure to radiation. Did you know that pilots and flight attendants have twice the risk of developing skin cancer?)

In return, I pay attention to a healthy diet. I'm lucky that my mom cooks fresh meals every day; our fridge is always full of fresh fruit and vegetables, much of it even from our own garden. I'm part of a strong family and have the best people as my closest friends. I don't drink any soft drinks or energy drinks because I find them disgusting. I don't smoke either, and when I see a can of Red Bull (or something similar), I shudder with disgust. And maybe someone else feels the same way when they see a glass of red wine. But that glass of red wine is exactly what I really like and brings me pleasure and joy.

And that's just how I view my life; I'm in my bubble. Someone else, looking at my everyday life, might say, "Well, you could definitely get a bit more exercise! And you work 60 hours a week—you could cut that down! And are you really trying to tell me that being self-employed isn't stressing you out?" Yeah, what can I say? They're right, they're right. 😂

And as I write this, I ask myself: “Why am I justifying myself?” I don’t really have to justify my consumer behavior * and if I do, then it’s only to one person, namely myself.

*Reminder : I'm talking about light alcohol consumption here. If I were to "drink like a fish," drive under the influence, or become violent, I would obviously have to justify my behavior to those around me. Not only that, but urgent action would be required.

Dealing with alcohol consumption requires self-reflection

Anyone who's read everything up to this point will agree that I've been thinking about alcohol consumption for a while now. Responsible consumption requires a degree of self-reflection and body awareness. I doubt all 16-year-olds possess this competence. Moreover, 16-year-olds are not yet physically mature, and alcohol consumption is particularly critical at this stage (see the DGE position paper).

That's why I'm critical of the fact that such young people are allowed to legally consume beer and wine from the age of 16.

What is moderate alcohol consumption?

The WHO defines "light to moderate alcohol consumption" as less than 1.5 liters of wine, less than 3.5 liters of beer, or less than 450 milliliters of spirits per week. This corresponds to approximately 2–3 alcoholic drinks per week.

My thought: What kind of ridiculously high amounts are these? 2 bottles of wine per week is supposed to be moderate consumption? 😯

Moderate alcohol consumption is usually defined as 2 to a maximum of 6 standard drinks per week, with each standard drink containing approximately 10–12 grams of pure alcohol. However, the WHO emphasizes that even at these levels, the health risk increases and there is no "safe" level.

Maintain friendly interaction with one another

“Are you pregnant?!” – “Are you sick?!”

Who hasn't heard those comments when you turn down a glass of champagne at a party, or simply don't feel like drinking anything that evening? You quickly look for an excuse. To be honest, I think it's completely intrusive when we confront and humiliate people like that. If someone refuses alcohol, that's fine. And the reasons behind it aren't really any of our business. What if the friend who just refused the gin and tonic is in the first trimester of pregnancy? By saying, "Are you pregnant?!" we put women in an uncomfortable situation.

It's okay if someone doesn't drink, and that doesn't need to be commented on by those of us who drink alcohol.

Preview of Part 6 - Non-alcoholic beverages

The trend toward less alcohol consumption has the positive side effect of making the market richer in delicious, non-alcoholic beverages. The sixth part of this blog series will address precisely that. What's happening in the market? How are non-alcoholic beers and wines actually produced? And is it sustainable? As always: Where there's plenty of light, there's also plenty of shade.