Alcohol has been shown to have both positive and negative health effects dependent upon the individual and their specific circumstances.

Alcohol: How much is too much?

The standard alcoholic drink contains an approximate amount of 14 grams of alcohol. This is the standard equivalent of 5 fluid ounces of wine, 12 fluid ounces of beer, and 1.5 fluid ounces of liquor.

Moderate alcohol consumption for men is considered to be no greater than two standard alcohol drinks per day. This number is smaller for both women and adults over the age of 65, as both should consume no more than one standard alcoholic drink per day. Drinking more than this on a consistent basis is considered to be greater than moderate alcohol consumption.

It is a common misconception that the differences in the recommended moderate amounts of alcohol use between men, women, and the elderly are based on body size. It actually is due to the fact that women metabolize alcohol differently in comparison to men.

Hypertension and Alcohol: The Link

When alcohol is consumed in excess, this can effectively increase overall blood pressure. Alcohol is also not recommended to be used with the majority of blood pressure medications and can actually serve to hinder their overall effectiveness. Due to this fact, excessive alcohol use can actually compound the overall risk for both development and maintenance of high blood pressure.

Alcohol: Assess Drinking Patterns

It may be helpful to create a food diary, where you not only keep track of your eating and drinking patterns, but you keep track of emotions felt while eating or drinking. By taking time to assess your overall drinking patterns, including emotional state, it may be easier to control your overall alcohol consumption. Looking at your food diary, if you are drinking more than the moderate consumption amounts, make successful attempts to cut back on use.

Alcohol: Tapering off Use

Stopping the use of alcohol can be difficult for heavy drinkers, particularly due to the fact that alcohol can become addictive with continued use. Rather than stopping alcohol use completely, it is suggested that you taper off use. The sudden complete elimination of alcohol from the diet can actually serve to increase blood pressure for several days. The process of quitting drinking, or the lessening of its use, can be difficult. It is recommended that you do so in a slow manner within the supervision of your physician.

Alcohol: Avoid the Binge

Alcohol binge drinking is extremely dangerous. Binge drinking, the process of having four or more alcoholic drinks in a row, is cause for sudden and large increases in overall blood pressure in addition to a wide variety of other health problems. Just because you abstain from drinking during the week does not mean you should attempt to make up for it on the weekends. Remember, moderate alcohol use is the key to its positive health effects.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/alcohol-debate
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/tc/high-blood-pressure-hypertension-overview
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/alcohol/