Safely Consuming Alcohol As A Senior

Getting older is good for presenting all kinds of hurdles and changes in your life. Learning to work with your body as it ages isn’t the most exciting thing you’ll do in life, but it’s wise to keep up along the way.

Keep up with the fun things too.  A nice glass of wine with dinner isn’t something you necessarily have to forego as you get older.  

Even some quality senior living facilities allow their residents a drink now and again.  The key is making sure you understand how to do it safely.  Check out a few tips on how you can safely drink alcohol as a senior. 

All things in good measure

You should first understand that your body won’t process alcohol the same as you age.  Your body changes on every level, and that means that you can’t drink as much as you did when you were in your twenties.  

As the body ages, your lean body mass and water content drop.  Your metabolism will also slow down, making your body more susceptible to the effects of alcohol.  You don’t need much when you’re a senior, So it is advisable that you consider switching to the best alcohol-free beer or similar nonalcoholic drinks.  

Know how it affects any conditions

You should also know how drinking alcohol affects any particular diagnosis you are managing. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s Disease are conditions that make it very dangerous for you to drink as you age.

Talk to your doctor about what is safe with your individual health plan before you decide to crack that old wine bottle open for a special occasion.

Consider your various medications

Before you give yourself the green light to drink a glass of wine or a craft beer, you need to consider the medications you take daily.  Some medications simply cannot be paired with alcohol, because the mixture is unsafe in the body.  

You need to know if all of your medications allow for a little drink from time to time.  Note that none of this advice is given to manage alcoholism.  If you have a drinking problem, there’s no safe amount of alcohol to drink.  

Don’t drink on an empty stomach

It’s never really best to drink on an empty stomach, no matter how young or old you are, but it’s worse when your body has reached senior age.  Alcohol is very acidic, it’s wise to cushion the blog by eating a little bit of food with your drink.  

Make sure you’re not overdoing it

Overall, it’s most important that you keep your alcohol intake limited.  Even if you’re healthy enough to drink a lot, your body never needs it.  Treat your body well, and you’ll have more to give in other areas of your life.