Drinking wine each evening

It's an unhealthy habit that you have got yourself in to. 2.5 bottles of wine a week is a huge amount (to me)!

I drink a similar amount to you OP and never considered it to be a problem. Thought I was fully in control and could stop anytime.

Anyway I'm doing dry january and actually I'm finding it REALLY hard - craving wine, headaches and so tired. Which has made me realise that I probably am dependant to some extent.

Maybe try and do a week or 2 alcohol free and see how you feel. That should give you your answer.

I don't think that much will be hugely damaging to your health, and i don't think it sounds like you are addicted.

I would recommend having some days off though. I love wine, but I feel like I appreciate it much more when I have a break. I don't usually drink Sunday to Thursday. And allow a bottle of wine over the weekend, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less, and I really enjoy it.

Also might sound snobbish but I now only buy good wines, from a wine club. That way I feel more inclined to savour the wine and drink slowly, it feels like more of an event than just having a tipple.

I do exactly this OP and really enjoy it but have been worried about it for some time as it means my liver doesn't get a break. I usually have 2 glasses/half a bottle of wine a night and always feel fine in the morning, never drunk and rarely drink more than that. DH and I rarely/never go out and work full time so I feel like it's my way to relax. I can definitely go a few days without but find is hard to break the habit completely. Doing dry January now so will see how that goes but not sure I will last. I've had three kids so given up 3 times with no issue. Life just seems a bit boring and less sparkle without wine although I do feel more virtuous and glad I am given my body a break. I remember watching my dad drink every day and being really worried about his health. Long term I think 2 days off a week is easily achievable and would make a difference to my health so am aiming for that. In terms of weight gain from wine, does anyone else with busy lives find that they substitute food for wine? DH and I have one or two glasses each a night and nibble on the kids' leftovers but don't really eat ourselves which is maybe why it hasn't impacted our weight (yet).

I've always drunk wine with meals. My heritage is French so it is totally normal.

Some view it as actually healthy.
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink a Glass of Wine Every Night

Experts do say 14 units a week. Other experts in others countries disagree. Some research indicates that alcohol has adverse effects. Some research indicates otherwise. If you keep looking, you'll find research that suits your purpose. I'm pretty sure the recommended units were criticised at the time by a lot of 'experts' because they seemed arbitrary. Many people felt that the UK had the most conservative limits because the British have more alcohol problems than other countries rather than there being evidence to support such a low number.

If I didn't want to shift some weight, I'd carry on with a daily glass of wine - I don't have problems with moderation. As it is, if I do lose the weight, I'll save some money too.

I probably wouldn't do it every night.

I previously drank a similar amount to you. I tried to only drink weekends (1 bottle across fri, sat, sun). I sometimes drank in the week if we went to a restaurant, so sometimes stretched to the equivalent of 2 bottles.

I had a blood test a few months back and my liver level came back slightly high so I've been advised to cut down. It was a real wake up call. I'm 34 btw...

I've been alcohol free for 3 months now but the thought I might have done permanent damage terrifies me. If I could have my time again, I would have definitely drank less. Not every week.

I think it sounds find. Very civilised and very pleasant. I started drinking a glass after work every day in lockdown plus one with dinner but that combined with perimenopause meant I put on weight and went up a dress size. I never weigh myself so not a clue how much. I only drink a couple of times a week now. If work is very stressful I will crack open a bottle but I drink in moderation. Sounds all good to me.

We don’t drink in the week well Mon - thurs. Tolerance goes down so we drink less at the weekends too. Both enjoy our wine but quality over quantity. Alcohol just isn’t good for you having it everyday can’t be right.

@SolarT

"It’s your life. Do what you want. 25 units or whatever it is, isn’t that much"

+++

Except the recommended max alcohol consumption per week is 14 units.

"24% of adults (30%of drinkers) in England and Scotland regularly drink over the Chief Medical Officer’s low-risk guidelines and 27% of drinkers in Great Britain binge drink on their heaviest drinking days"

alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-statistics

Also alcohol costs the UK economy £27 billion per year in health costs and lost production.

Kendodd - I wouldn't bother, if it's a struggle. Drink green tea instead!

It's a myth that drinking red wine is good for your health; the negatives vastly outweigh any positives.

In fact, although the NHS guidelines are there, there is no 'safe' limit to alcohol; they only put the arbitury '14 units' in place because they knew that saying don't drink anything wouldn't be adhered to.

I think it's important to enjoy your food and wine. However, if I were a doctor I'd probably tell you to cut down. How about if you see whether you could do 3/4, i.e. three nights carrying on as you are and 4 nights not one week, then the other way around the next week? Give yourself at least 3 nights off per week.

There are quite a lot of empty calories - yes, there are antioxidants etc but let's face it, you are not nourishing your body from red wine after half a glass.

The Queen drank a lot more than that everyday, and lived to 96.

It’s fine. Listen to your dh and relax

The NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/the-risks-of-drinking-too-much/

There is nothing wrong with a glass of wine a night, especially if it's red, it has health benefits

I’m doing dry January as I do every year (and October too), but otherwise I could easily have a glass or 2 of wine every night.

Is it too much? Yes, sadly it is. I always aim to have 2 or 3 nights off, but fail at least one week a month. If there’s a bottle open in the fridge, I have little willpower.

I never have a hangover, or sleep badly but I know I regularly exceed 14 units a week which is probably bad for me.

Op why not just cut back to one glass (two unit’s worth) a day? It’s not much of a change and it’s fourteen units a week.

I envy you….I’ve had a glass this evening (I rarely drink) and feel dreadful!

Sorry OP, but I think your attitude towards alcohol is of concern...

You say that you don't care about the 14 units/week NHS guidlines and are exceeding that by a large margin...

You are allowing your husband to enable you by saying it is good for your mental health - this is nonsense, alcohol is a mood altering, mind bending recreational drug, known to cause depression and cause short and long term memory loss and deterioration of brain cells...

You say that you have been drinking in this pattern for years, so have been causing long term, cumulative damage to every single one of your internal organs...

The fact that you are asking the question suggests that you think you might be consuming too much. I would urge you to cut back significantly as it IS a slippery slope, despite protestations to the contrary

I was also brought up on the narrative that 1 glass of red wine a day is good for your vascular health. After reading many conflicting news articles over the years after new studies have been found to support or dismantle the health benefits, and after doing it myself for years, especially during and after lockdowns, I don't actually think it is that healthy. At the end of the day alcohol is toxic and a depressant and can have negative effects on your brain as well as other organs. It may help with sleeping but how do you feel in the morning? I feel not drinking everyday makes me much more alert and my mind is sharper. Especially if I have to go to work! The question is also, do you need it in order to relax or sleep? (Dependency issues?) I found that reserving it for special occasions or even weekends makes me feel more in control and also saves a lot of money!

I read something about this a while back. There was some new research saying basically that ANY amount of alcohol is really bad for you. Don't ask me about the details because I can't remember but I think it was an article in the Guardian.

That’s too much. A bottle will be 9/10 units so you are having over 20 units a week.
Maximum recommended is no more than 14 units.

It’s your life. Do what you want. 25 units or whatever it is, isn’t that much. Perhaps 1/2 nights off a week would be good though.

How is your sleep and how do you feel in the morning? Are you groggy and tired?

I gave up alcohol completely last year when I wasn't drinking much as the downsides outweighed the good (even small amounts were giving me hangovers). It has benefited me.

I think you need to honestly consider the pros and cons for you own situation.