Did you know that alcohol can worsen anxiety and depression?
Seeing that mental health disorders are extremely common and on the rise, I thought I would remind you of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of alcohol and how alcohol can worsen anxiety and depression.
Alcohol is a big part of our lives. We often "need" to have alcohol in social situations. It is consumed often after a stressful day at work and on the weekend when we are socialising or relaxing. Alcohol intake often becomes a habit and a way to escape from reality or cope with stressful situations.
Unfortunately, alcohol can not only become an abusive substance to consume, but that reality you are trying to escape from will still be there when you wake up the next morning and you will probably feel a lot worse.
Now I'm not saying that alcohol should never be consumed, but rather reminding you that if it is not consumed in moderation it can have negative effects on your overall health and well-being, including your gut health and mental health.
The RDA (recommended daily allowance) value is a dietary guideline based on research for healthy individuals to reach their nutrient requirements and with alcohol, the RDA for adults is:
Females RDA: 1 unit of alcohol per day
Males RDA: 2 units of alcohol per day
It's important to note that the RDA value is not suggesting that you drink alcohol every day or that you should include it in your dietary intake. The RDA is recommending that if you choose to consume alcohol then don't exceed the RDA value.
Remember, even if you only drink alcohol over the weekend, you should not consume more than the RDA value and "make up" for the few days when you didn't consume alcohol.
Now the big question is what is 1 unit of alcohol equivalent to?
No, it is not equal to 1/2 a glass of vodka or a giant modern-day glass of wine.
1 unit of alcohol is actually equal to:
125ml wine 🍷
25ml spirits 🍹
340ml beer 🍺
Sugary drinks that are mixed with alcohol are also often high in calories and sugar which too can impact your mental health negatively.
The next time you go out on the jol, try and avoid drinking those 4 double gin and tonics
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