That sweet drink could harm you
Jul 05, 2009
HAVE you ordered a glass of wine, thinking the alcohol content will not affect you as much as beer? In reality, a glass of wine can put two to three times the strain on your body than a beer.
By Rebecca Harshbarger
HAVE you ordered a glass of wine, thinking the alcohol content will not affect you as much as beer? In reality, a glass of wine can put two to three times the strain on your body than a beer.
A glass of South African wine, such as Nederburg or Obikwa, comprises between 13 and 14%, twice the alcohol content of Guiness, which is 6.5%. Many women prefer wine, thinking it is easier on the head.
“There has been so much miscommunication about wine,†says Dr. Margaret Mungherera, a consultant psychologist at Mulago Hospital. She specialises in treating alcohol abuse.
“People think when a drink is sweet, it cannot have a high alcohol content.â€
In Uganda, sweet beverages like beer made from sugarcane are popular at celebrations because they are perceived to have a low alcohol content.
Some people end up less intoxicated from the sweet beverages because they interrupt their drinking with eating and dancing.
If you spend an entire evening drinking without interruption, you are likely to become intoxicated quickly. The perception that sweet beverages are low in alcohol content is rampant in bars.
“Many female customers order wine because they fear to get drunk on beer,†says Christopher Jawala, a bartender at Mateo’s Bar.
A visit to a bar or supermarket to check the alcohol content of beverages can be helpful.
V&A, which is popular among women and teenagers, has an alcohol content of 20%. Nederburg Chardonnay, a South African brand, is 14% while Obikwa is 13.5%.
Although Smirnoff beer tends to be viewed as less alcoholic because of its sweetness, Smirnoff Black Ice has 7% alcohol, much stronger than a Bell Lager, which is 4%.
Amarula, a popular sweet drink, comprises 17% alcohol. Boniface Mutatina, a nutritionist in Kampala, says most beers have an alcohol percentage of 4.5, but most wines are between 14% and 16%, or even up to 23%.â€
Mungherera advises women not to drink more than two units of alcohol a day, and men not more than three. A unit of alcohol is equivalent to one sachet of waragi, a beer, or a glass of wine.
She says both men and women should take off at least three days of drinking during the week. Excessive drinking puts a huge strain on the body’s organs, particularly the liver as well as the stomach and oesophagus.
Food, particularly oily food, should be taken along with drinks, to ease the body’s absorption of alcohol. Drinking on an empty stomach takes a much heavier toll on the body and can lead to a hangover or vomiting.
Drinking alcohol more than four days a week, or consuming over three units of alcohol in one sitting, can cause devastating health effects.
Mentally, alcohol abuse can cause depression and psychosis. Physically, it is linked to liver cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver; gastric problems and cancers of the stomach and oesophagus.
Socially, it can lead to domestic violence, marital separation, abuse of children and isolation from the community.
How Strong Is Your Favourite Drink?
Uganda Waragi, 40%
Amurula cream- 17.5%
Ugandan V&A, 20%
Nederburg Chardonnay, 13%
Nederburg , 14%
Cellar cask, 11.5%
Nederburg Pinotag, 14%
Hardys (Australian) Merlot, 13.5%
Obikwa Cabernet, 13.5%
Smirnoff Black Ice, 7%
Guinness, 6.5%
Pilsner Lager, 5.5%
Bell Lager, 4%
Tusker, 5%
HAVE you ordered a glass of wine, thinking the alcohol content will not affect you as much as beer? In reality, a glass of wine can put two to three times the strain on your body than a beer.
A glass of South African wine, such as Nederburg or Obikwa, comprises between 13 and 14%, twice the alcohol content of Guiness, which is 6.5%. Many women prefer wine, thinking it is easier on the head.
“There has been so much miscommunication about wine,†says Dr. Margaret Mungherera, a consultant psychologist at Mulago Hospital. She specialises in treating alcohol abuse.
“People think when a drink is sweet, it cannot have a high alcohol content.â€
In Uganda, sweet beverages like beer made from sugarcane are popular at celebrations because they are perceived to have a low alcohol content.
Some people end up less intoxicated from the sweet beverages because they interrupt their drinking with eating and dancing.
If you spend an entire evening drinking without interruption, you are likely to become intoxicated quickly. The perception that sweet beverages are low in alcohol content is rampant in bars.
“Many female customers order wine because they fear to get drunk on beer,†says Christopher Jawala, a bartender at Mateo’s Bar.
A visit to a bar or supermarket to check the alcohol content of beverages can be helpful.
V&A, which is popular among women and teenagers, has an alcohol content of 20%. Nederburg Chardonnay, a South African brand, is 14% while Obikwa is 13.5%.
Although Smirnoff beer tends to be viewed as less alcoholic because of its sweetness, Smirnoff Black Ice has 7% alcohol, much stronger than a Bell Lager, which is 4%.
Amarula, a popular sweet drink, comprises 17% alcohol. Boniface Mutatina, a nutritionist in Kampala, says most beers have an alcohol percentage of 4.5, but most wines are between 14% and 16%, or even up to 23%.â€
Mungherera advises women not to drink more than two units of alcohol a day, and men not more than three. A unit of alcohol is equivalent to one sachet of waragi, a beer, or a glass of wine.
She says both men and women should take off at least three days of drinking during the week. Excessive drinking puts a huge strain on the body’s organs, particularly the liver as well as the stomach and oesophagus.
Food, particularly oily food, should be taken along with drinks, to ease the body’s absorption of alcohol. Drinking on an empty stomach takes a much heavier toll on the body and can lead to a hangover or vomiting.
Drinking alcohol more than four days a week, or consuming over three units of alcohol in one sitting, can cause devastating health effects.
Mentally, alcohol abuse can cause depression and psychosis. Physically, it is linked to liver cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver; gastric problems and cancers of the stomach and oesophagus.
Socially, it can lead to domestic violence, marital separation, abuse of children and isolation from the community.
How Strong Is Your Favourite Drink?
Uganda Waragi, 40%
Amurula cream- 17.5%
Ugandan V&A, 20%
Nederburg Chardonnay, 13%
Nederburg , 14%
Cellar cask, 11.5%
Nederburg Pinotag, 14%
Hardys (Australian) Merlot, 13.5%
Obikwa Cabernet, 13.5%
Smirnoff Black Ice, 7%
Guinness, 6.5%
Pilsner Lager, 5.5%
Bell Lager, 4%
Tusker, 5%