More Glasses of Wine Come Out of a Bottle Than You Think (and That’s Bad News)
Most people in the Netherlands pour a bottle of wine into three or four glasses. And they think that two glasses of wine a day is incredibly healthy. The Trimbos Institute conducted a major study into Dutch people’s knowledge of the harmful effects of alcohol and guess what: it’s enough to make you cry.
It’s not a cheerful story, but it is the truth: excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer and dementia. Most people don’t know this, according to research by the Trimbos Institute. They asked 2,300 participants to answer questions about their knowledge of alcohol. The study also shows that the social consequences of alcohol are underestimated. Alcohol costs society between €2 and €4 billion per year, for example, which many people are unaware of.
Many people also think that two glasses of wine a day are good for you – but that is not the advice of the Health Council, which recommends a maximum of one glass a day, and preferably less or none at all.
Generous pours
How full are the wine glasses people pour? Fuller than the Trimbos Institute assumes: on average, people pour 4 to 5 glasses from a bottle, while they should actually be able to pour 7 to 8. The conclusion is that we routinely pour too generously, or use wine glasses that are far too large —and therefore drink much more than we think. One glass from such a generous pourer is equivalent to two according to the Trimbos Institute, which makes quite a difference to the statistics—and the health consequences.
Not a rosy picture
Other less rosy facts about alcohol are also unknown: few people know that men who drink alcohol before conception increase the risk of miscarriage. People do know that excessive alcohol consumption can cause liver disease and brain damage, but they are less aware that alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. Want to test your own knowledge about alcohol? Take the quiz on the website of the Trimbos Institute.
Social pressure is strong
Ordering a spa while your friends are drinking beer? Not easy for excessive and heavy drinkers, the study showed: 40% of that group said they found it difficult, as they feel a great deal of social pressure when it comes to alcohol. And who are considered heavy and excessive drinkers? Women who drink more than 14 glasses of alcohol per week are considered excessive drinkers by the Trimbos Institute, while heavy drinkers are women who drink at least four glasses in one evening once a week.
For men, the limit is slightly higher: 21 glasses per week to be considered an excessive drinker, and six glasses in one evening once a week to be considered a heavy drinker. Many people fall into both categories, by the way: a few glasses every evening, plus a few more once a week. Moderate drinkers follow the Health Council’s guidelines: a maximum of one glass per day, and more often none at all.
After reading this article, feel like drinking a little less? Get inspired: these are the favorite alcohol-free wines of top sommeliers.
Read also:
- What is alcohol-free wine? And is it tasty?
- This is the glass every bubbles snob wants in their cupboard
- Fact check: does drinking alcohol help against a hangover?
