Originally Posted by
Pondlady 
My doctor told me alcohol is absorbed into the body as a sugar, provides no nutritional value and is a waste of calories. Something to consider.
Originally Posted by
decchemist Your body can store the energy from a cookie and use it when needed. It cannot store the energy from alcohol. It metabolises the ethanol asap into ethanal (acetaldehyde) which is actually a carcinogen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetal...arcinogenicity
The acetaldehyde is further metabolised to acetic acid.
There are also positive health effects from moderate drinking, mostly cardiovascular, but also gallstones and diabetes. The benefits generally outweigh the risks in moderate drinking. Note MODERATE.
The program director of my IOP, who is a recovering heroin addict and a well respected researcher and clinician, basically said flat out that the measure of addiction is negative consequences. If you're not experiencing negative consequences, feel free to continue to use. If the consequences become negative, stop. Negative consequences include a risk of a DUI, job performance, relationships, health, etc. Only you can decide if you're experiencing negative consequences, although a doctor, close relative, spouse/partner, or close friend that sees you frequently can also clue you in if things are happening that you're just not recognizing.
One test for moderate vs addictive drinkings is can you easily stop for 90 days.
Note that it is a progressive disease. I also drank a lot while in grad school in my early 30s, mostly bingeing. but almost completely stopped until my early 40s, when moderate drinking gradually lead to life-threatening alcoholism over 10 years. I would keep an eye on it.