No makeup · with sources · reviewed monthly
Last evidence review: August 2026 · next: September 2026
What excess really does — and what to do about it
An informational page written for adults who drink and want to drink better. Nothing here replaces a doctor, and we repeat that on purpose.
What excess really does
No sugarcoating: there is no level of alcohol consumption that is safe for health. That has been the World Health Organization's position since 2023, and alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen per IARC (the highest-evidence tier).
In the liver, the road is well mapped and progressive: it starts with fatty liver (silent, still reversible if you cut back), can advance to alcoholic hepatitis and, with sustained excess over the years, to cirrhosis — which is irreversible.
Hangovers, without the folklore
A hangover is your body settling the bill: the liver turns alcohol into acetaldehyde (responsible for much of the misery), while dehydration, poor sleep and an irritated stomach finish the job.
What actually helps:
- Water, before, during and after. The classic “one glass of water per glass of wine” is the cheapest advice in the wine world.
- Eat before and while drinking (not after, as a fix): food in the stomach slows alcohol absorption. “Greasy food the morning after” is folklore — the liver doesn't take bribes.
- Sleep, and accept the inconvenient truth: the only real cure for a hangover is time.
- Painkillers? With caution and guidance: after heavy drinking, paracetamol (acetaminophen) deserves special care precisely because of your liver. When in doubt, ask a pharmacist or doctor, not us.
What's myth: coffee fixes it (it just makes you awake and hungover), hair of the dog (postpones and worsens the bill), sweating it out (dehydrates someone already dehydrated).
Hydration, no fuss
🍷 If last night involved wine: alcohol suppresses your antidiuretic hormone: you lose more fluid than you drink. Rehydrate in steady sips, add electrolytes if the night was truly long, and remember the grown-up trick: one glass of water per glass, during.
💧 Day to day: the European reference (EFSA) suggests about 2 liters of fluids a day for women and 2.5 for men, food, coffee and tea included. The honest individual marker: pale urine. Heat, training and altitude ask for more.
Am I drinking too much?
Instead of guesswork, the instrument the WHO developed for this: the AUDIT-C, the first three questions of the official screening test.
One “drink” ≈ a glass of wine (150 ml), a can of beer, or a shot of spirits.
AUDIT-C is a validated screening tool — not a diagnosis. Usual literature cut-offs: 4+ for men and 3+ for women suggest risky drinking.
Real help, zero judgment
- Alcoholics Anonymous — meetings in most countries, in person and online. The only requirement is wanting to stop.
- World Health Organization — evidence and resources on alcohol and health.
- Readers in Brazil: CVV (188, 24h) · CAPS AD via SUS (dial 136) · CISA.
Sources for this page
- WHO — “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health” (2023) — who.int
- IARC/WHO — alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen — iarc.who.int
- AUDIT/AUDIT-C — WHO screening instrument
- EFSA — dietary reference values for water — efsa.europa.eu
- Alcoholics Anonymous — aa.org
✓ House rule: no source, no publishing. Informational page, not a substitute for medical care.