Definition: Wine consumption (managing your intake)

At a time when anti-alcohol campaigns are raging, the best form of prevention is, by far, information. Far be it from us to be killjoys! A few basic concepts are always worth knowing, especially for younger generations who sometimes play dangerously with fire.

First of all, we are not all equal when it comes to alcohol: it spreads throughout the watery part of the body, i.e. not only the six litres of blood, but also the most irrigated organs (liver, muscles, brain, etc.). However, the male body contains 68% water, compared to only 55% in women, which means that alcohol is diluted less in women. Generally speaking, the heavier the body, the greater the amount of water it contains, and the lower the blood alcohol level will be.

Good to know:

• To stick to pure tasting, a 75 cl bottle of wine at 13% ABV (approximately 100 g of alcohol) should fill ten glasses (1 glass = 10 g).• Learn to say "no" until your glass is empty so that you can count the number of times you refill it. It is up to you to determine how many glasses you allow yourself.

• Sponging effect: solid foods (bread, starchy foods, etc.) eaten at the beginning of a meal will reduce the rate of alcohol absorption (between 0.10 and 0.15 g/l per hour).

• Water! Drinking water before the meal and between each sip of wine seems to help smooth out the peak in blood alcohol levels. At the very least, this practice will save you from a headache the next day!

• Are you driving? The best way to check your blood alcohol level is with a breathalyser. You can now easily find reliable devices in pharmacies for around €100 (at least). A cheaper option is to let someone who isn't drinking do the driving!

• Let's not kid ourselves: be aware that menthol chewing gum, coffee beans, spoonfuls of oil supposed to "waterproof" the intestinal wall, or any other "tricks" often mentioned to fool alcohol tests, are in fact ineffective, whether used beforehand to limit alcohol absorption or afterwards to speed up its elimination, information (unfortunately) confirmed by the Ministry of Health.