Alcoholic beverages are offered in different personal and professional situations – for example at cocktail parties, happy hours, weddings, family dinners, or even meeting dinners. Drinking a glass or two of alcohol can make us start a conversation or make a tense atmosphere more relaxed. Learning how to properly tolerate alcohol is a good life skill for those who choose to drink alcohol. However, if you become weak after just one drink, you may need to consider some steps to gradually "maintain your alcohol tolerance." Most importantly, you should always remember not to drink to excess, keep your pace, and be able to tolerate a certain amount of alcohol intake.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Increase Alcohol Consumption Responsibly
Step 1. Know the difference between tolerance and alcohol dependence
While there is a relationship between tolerance and alcohol dependence, the two are not the same. A person can increase their alcohol tolerance without becoming dependent on alcohol, although having an alcohol tolerance that is too high usually means that you are also dependent on alcohol.
- Tolerance means that your body adapts to consuming a certain amount of alcohol, even in large quantities such as a can of beer or a glass of wine.
- Addiction means that you consume alcohol consistently and compulsively, and need alcohol for your body to function. This is a dangerous situation that you should avoid. If your alcohol tolerance is too high, it is possible that you are dependent on alcohol. This can be dangerous not only for you, but also for those around you.
Step 2. Recognize that different types of drinks also produce different effects
Not all alcoholic beverages contain the same strength of alcohol, and even the same type of drink can be prepared differently by different parties.
- In general, the smaller the serving, the stronger the alcohol in the drink. One sip of whiskey can contain as much alcohol as a can of light beer.
- In some countries, the alcohol content is written on the label outside the package. The higher the alcohol content, the higher the effect.
- Sugary fruit drinks and/or cocktails can sometimes be difficult to assess for alcohol content – especially for beginners. Since the brewing of these drinks can vary depending on the bartender who brews them, there is no definite alcohol content.
- Not all types of drinks have alcohol standards. Regular large cans generally contain about 5% alcohol, but crate beers contain 20% or more.
- Different drinks can produce different effects. Be careful. While hangover effects are usually common, different types of drinks can cause slightly different effects. For example, a person may become more susceptible to drinking wine than tequila.
Step 3. Determine your current alcohol tolerance
Before you start increasing your consumption, estimate your temporary tolerance. This will help you determine the safest way to consume alcohol.
- Take one drink, then another in a safe environment surrounded by responsible people. Don't put yourself in dangerous drunken situations, or with people who are irresponsible and will push you beyond your comfort limit.
- If you don't usually drink alcohol or only drink once or twice a week, your tolerance level will be relatively low. If you consume two drinks every five days a week, your tolerance will be higher as well.
Step 4. Consume more alcohol gradually in a safe and responsible way
The easiest way to increase your tolerance for alcohol is to drink more of it. You must do this without injuring yourself or others. It is important to realize that consuming alcohol is something that will always carry a risk. While you may not feel the effects of drinking alcohol, your body may still become too weak to function normally.
- Try it slowly. For example, consume only one more drink than you normally would. If you never drink alcohol, start by drinking one drink, or even half a drink. If you usually drink one glass of wine or liquor, drink one and a half or two. This will ensure that you don't consume too much alcohol when you are trying to increase your alcohol tolerance.
- Consider drinking a glass of water between alcoholic drinks to help yourself consume them slowly.
- Eat while drinking alcohol. Eating food while drinking alcohol can help keep the alcohol from having too strong of an effect. Drinking on an empty stomach will cause a hangover that is worse than when you have eaten.
Step 5. Stick to wise drinking guidelines
Remember, you must increase your tolerance level and avoid dependence. By consuming alcohol wisely, you will reduce your risk of becoming addicted to it or harming yourself.
- Remember that your judgment is weakened by alcohol – you can become drunk and not think clearly. For this reason, it's always best to travel with a friend who can watch over you and help you drink wisely.
- Alcohol units are based on the percentage of alcohol contained in a drink and the amount of alcohol consumed. One unit of alcohol is 10 ml of pure alcohol. Since most alcoholic beverages are not pure alcohol, the percentage of alcohol in the drink is a factor in the number of units. For reference, one bottle of wine contains 9-10 units of alcohol..
- For example, a pint of beer with 4% alcohol contains 2.3 units of alcohol. If you prefer a strong drink like scotch, a 25 ml shot of scotch contains one unit of alcohol. Or, if you prefer wine, one 175ml glass of wine contains 2.3 units of alcohol.
- The guidelines for wise drinking advise women not to drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol each day. This dose equals approximately one can of beer or one glass of wine a day, or two to three shots of spirit.
- The guidelines for drinking wisely suggest that men should not consume more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day. This dose equals approximately 1-2 cans of beer or glass of wine, or 3-4 liquors per day.
Step 6. Know when to stop
As your alcohol tolerance increases, it can be difficult to tell when you've had too much alcohol. Making sure that you know how much you've consumed will help you avoid getting drunk, drinking alcohol, or possibly even worse.
Step 7. Have an alcohol-free day each week
Set up at least two alcohol-free days each week. This will help you to become less dependent on alcohol, as well as help your body recover from previous alcohol consumption.
If you can't go a day without drinking alcohol, this is a sign that you have become dependent on it. If this happens, seek professional help
Step 8. Know the dangers of drinking alcohol
Whenever you consume alcoholic beverages, you run the risk of damaging your body. The only way to consume alcohol without risk is to not drink it at all, and the more you drink, the higher your risk.
- Tolerance will not protect you from the harm of alcohol.
- In the short term, alcohol consumption can cause health problems: weight gain, depression, skin problems, and memory loss.
- In the long term, alcohol consumption can cause health problems: high blood pressure, chronic liver disease, and breast cancer.
Method 2 of 2: Maximizing Your Alcohol Tolerance
Step 1. Know how different body factors can affect tolerance
How a person tolerates alcohol is affected by several factors, some of which can be controlled. Your gender, body type, weight, drug use, food consumed, and fatigue are some examples of elements that affect your alcohol tolerance.
Women, who generally have more body fat and a lower percentage of water in their blood, have a lower tolerance for alcohol than men. This is because they do not have much water to dilute the alcohol in their blood
Step 2. Master controllable alcohol tolerance factors
While you can't control elements such as gender, if you want to increase your alcohol tolerance, you can control controllable factors, such as weight, fatigue, hydration, and food consumption. Control these factors so that your tolerance level for alcohol increases.
Step 3. Gain weight
One easy way to increase your tolerance is to gain weight. The more fat your body contains, the faster your body absorbs alcohol, so your tolerance level is higher.
If you want to gain weight, remember that you have to do it safely. Adding weight even as little as 4.5 kg will help increase your tolerance for alcohol. But remember: just as drinking alcohol comes with its own risks, gaining weight can also come with certain risks. For example, weight gain can result in high blood pressure
Step 4. Eat
If you fill your stomach with food, the alcohol will take longer to be absorbed, making the effect less noticeable. Vice versa, an empty stomach will lower your tolerance level.
- The amount of food you eat can be a determining factor. For example, if you eat more food, this will help slow down the absorption of alcohol into your blood, thereby temporarily increasing your tolerance for alcohol.
- The time between food and alcohol consumption also affects alcohol tolerance. For example, if you eat more food before or during alcohol consumption, your tolerance for alcohol will be greater. If you eat less food and wait to drink alcohol, your tolerance for alcohol will be lower as well.
- Remember that food only delays the absorption of alcohol into your system. You don't need to drink more alcohol than you normally would, so it's best to drink moderately and not to excess.
Step 5. Make sure you are hydrated
Drinking alcohol when you are dehydrated will lead to a lower tolerance. This is due to the low water content in your blood, which is useful for diluting alcohol.
- For example, before you drink alcohol, consider drinking a glass of water to make sure you're not dehydrated.
- Consider drinking a glass of water between each alcoholic drink. This will help keep you hydrated and ensure that you don't consume more than recommended.
Step 6. Make sure you are well rested and healthy
If you are tired and/or sick, your body is less efficient at processing and eliminating alcohol.
- If you haven't slept and are tired from stress at work, consider going for a day without alcohol. This will help your body recover and make sure you don't drink too much alcohol.
- If you are sick and taking medication, be aware that these drugs can interact with alcohol and increase its effect on your body.
- If you are sick, consider going on a day without alcohol. This will help your body recover, and ensure that you don't drink too much alcohol or experience negative reactions to the drug-alcohol mixture.
Step 7. Make sure you always drink alcohol wisely
Even if you choose to increase your tolerance levels through controllable factors such as weight, fatigue, illness, and food consumption, you still need to follow these guidelines for alcohol consumption wisely.
By doing this, you will be helping yourself to ensure that you will not harm yourself, including by becoming dependent on alcohol
Tips
- Sticking to one type of alcohol during an event can make it easier to calculate how much alcohol you've consumed.
- Increasing alcohol tolerance responsibly and safely is something you can't do overnight. Increasing your consumption and tolerance sensibly and gradually will take time. This will also save you from any possible health risks.
Warning
- Never drink alcohol before driving.
- Drinking alcohol to the point of getting drunk can cause serious damage to your health, or even be fatal.
- Increasing alcohol tolerance can lead to sudden and unexpected intolerance and/or alcohol poisoning, which can also be fatal.
