St. Patrick's Day Science

Today is St. Patrick's Day, which is the fourth-biggest drinking holiday. Every year, an estimated 60% of Americans wear green, party hard and drink like fish.

About 13 million glasses of Guinness will be consumed globally on St. Patrick's Day, with nearly one-third of men and about a fifth of women planning on binge drinking.

Binge drinking isn't a new issue, but with our new "sober-curious" culture people are starting to think twice about their drinking habits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that binge drinking is the norm in the United States. A binge is considered to be four ounces of alcohol within a couple of hours for women and five for men. A woman will reach the legal limit for alcohol on about 20% less booze than men, even if they weight exactly the same.

Hitting the legal limit doesn't stop some of us though. About 17% of adults are drinking to get drunk at least weekly, which increases the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. Excessive drinking affects about one in eight adults in the United States.

Binge drinking is most prevalent between the ages of 18 and 34. In addition to increasing the risk of alcoholism, binge drinking also leads to permanent reductions in the number of brain cells. Plus it compromises the body's immune system making it harder for it to fight pathogens.

Alcohol is much more toxins to the brain and other organs than opiates, cannabinoids or even nicotine. Just one drink a week can lead to a health and wellness risk. And the more you drink, the earlier you can die. Doom and gloom you guys.

I'm not here to preach, nor am I saying that all drinking is bad (though it's not great), what I am trying to say is NOT drinking is actually awesome. Think about how your drinking is or can negatively impact your life. Drinking doesn't benefit us, our family or communities. The only ones who benefit from us drinking are alcoholic beverage companies.

And besides, even if the repercussions of drinking are way off in the future, alcohol is making you unhappy right now. When you drink you experience neural changes that increase depression, anxiety and insomnia.

So maybe this year see if you can celebrate without the sauce. Chase rainbows instead of chasing down your next pint. You will be healthier and happier.

I've said this before and I'm going to say it again- if you have a problem with alcohol, are interested in cutting down or even if you are just sober-curious, you must read "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace. It changed my life and the lives of many of my friends. Just read it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!