How bad is a glass of wine per night?

[flossie72]

Roughly 2.5 bottles a week - over the recommended units by quite a bit. But isn’t a significant amount per night. Just habitual at this point, and enjoyable over dinner.

I would probably do half a bottle at the weekend. Two glasses of wine over Sunday lunch doesn’t feel like a lot at all. A 250ml glass is classed as a large glass and that’s a third of a bottle.

Its not habitual, thats acoholism.

A more accurate way to work it out is that a bottle of wine is 750 ml. If it's 12% (i.e. 12 units in 1 litre), 750 ml is 9 units. The size of a glass can vary enormously. Some guides say a glass of wine is one unit, but a standard large glass -250ml - would be 3 units.

You’re asking on here which shows that you’re concerned but then you’re minimising how many unit you’re you are drink and how bad this is. This part is concerning.

Let’s put it this way - your body doesn’t bother to use up energy from food when it’s processing alcohol so any fat or carb you eat while drinking the wine is sent straight to body fat storage.

There’s also the fact you’ve slipped into drinking everyday… what’s to stop it becoming two glasses a day?

And, of course, daily drinking increases damage to your very DNA. Alcohol damages the body's cells by creating a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which can damage DNA and prevent cells from repairing themselves. It can lead to chronic inflammation, disrupt cell communication, cause hormonal changes that increase the risk of cancer, and damage various cells like brain neurons and blood cells, contributing to organ damage and disease.

A 250ml glass is really too big. Standard size glass is now 175ml, even if 125ml is now considered a bit small. Even if you’re going a bit over 175ml, I’d expect a bottle to last four nights not two or three.

I used to regularly drink up to the amount you’re talking about, OP, and you know perfectly well really that on that amount you’re kidding yourself saying it’s just a glass a night. It’s slightly too much. Perimenopause kicked in for me and now I can barely tolerate more than a small glass these days. I think one actual glass of wine a night is not a problem (though you may also want to schedule in a couple of nights off entirely).

But 250ml+ every night is getting on for not good. That’s not within the recommended 14 units a week for women. In reality, at the wine percentages these days, a standard size 175ml glass these days is more like 2 units, so 175ml a night is already 14 units a week. 250ml+ is more like 3-4 units, which is getting on for double the recommended limit.

If you read my post above, you are reminding me even more strongly of the alcoholic in my life. Quibbling about what a “glass” is to minimise the amount you are drinking. You could define a glass as 500ml - it still wouldn’t make it any less alcohol than it is.

Ah I did wonder how long it would take for someone to come out with that. Apparently it’s impossible to have an objective discussion about alcohol on MN without someone eventually resorting to ‘you must be an alcoholic’.

FWIW I have first hand experience with alcoholics in my family and I can tell you that it’s devastating. It ruins relationships. It’s prioritising alcohol above anything else. What I do probably isn’t great for my health but it isn’t alcoholism.

As you have family members with alcoholism you’re are great risk of becoming an alcoholic.

I’m not minimising at all. Clearly a glass varies. But in my op I said 2.5 bottles which is a lot clearer.

As an impartial bystander OP, I’d say you are minimising.

You’ve come here to ask a question for a reason. I wonder, what is it that you’re looking to achieve by posting? Validation that it all is ok? If so, why do you need that, if you’re sure it’s ok?

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

Just FYI OP, I’m a recovered alcoholic, in AA, and you drink more weekly than I ever did regularly. That doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic, of course, but it should make you stop and think.

You clearly have no intention of doing anything other than arguing why your drinking isn’t so bad and you will continue. Lots of people on AIBU do this so for a MN behaviour thing this is standard so it’s not a big deal but I’m leave this thread. But it’s your life so it should be a big deal to you and I think you need to think carefully about why you’re asking this question only to argue back with anyone who disagrees with you.

Stay healthy.

I don’t think it’s that bad, fairly normal in a lot of European countries.
You could get smaller glasses or get a wine measuring cup so that it’s a small glass rather than a massive one!
One bottle of wine should do at least 4 glasses

I’m child free and so are all of my friends. We socialise on a night out every week and yes we drink a lot on the nights out. So I’m no advocate against alcohol. But it’s once a week and I can’t imagine drinking every day. Even if it’s just one glass of wine. I simply cannot understand having alcohol every day.

You should have 3 days off per week. If you don’t think it’s a problem try to have some alcohol free days to prove it.

That's not a glass and you keep insisting it is. That's the concerning bit. You're very defensive. Also (and tone gets lost here but I really do mean this kindly as I'm very sorry you've grown up with alcoholics) alcoholism comes in many versions so your perception might be skewed by your experience.