To estimate your alcohol intake, use the following guide:

10 grams of ethanol =

• One shot of whiskey
• One glass of wine
• One large can of beer

Take the following quiz:

• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking or felt guilty about your drinking?
• Have friends or relatives irritated you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing when you get up in the morning?

If you answered Yes to any of the questions, you may want to reconsider your drinking habits and discuss them with your physician.

Be aware that you do not have to be a drunk to develop alcohol related liver disease. Most studies show that people who develop liver disease may be only mildly dependent on alcohol. The risk of serious liver disease increases in men who consume more than 80 grams of ethanol per day and in women who consume more than 20 grams of ethanol per day. For women, dangerous levels of daily alcohol intake translates to two drinks of beer or wine per day.

Effects of alcohol do not only result in liver disease, but also ulcers, diarrhea, heart failure, heart irregularities, high blood pressure, anemia, and other disease conditions. The effects may be on others as well. A mother who drinks during pregnancy can cause serious damage to her baby known as fetal alcohol syndrome. fetal alcohol syndrome may include any or all of the following:

• retarded growth
• low intelligence
• heart malformations
• skeletal and muscle abnormalities

Remember that a small amount of wine (a glass a day) may be beneficial to your health by increasing your "good" cholesterol. But too much of a good thing can be deadly.