7 Beers in One Night

Drinking beer can help stave off heart disease, but drinking too much of it can cause a variety of health problems. Heavy drinking can lead to fatty liver disease, hepatitis and even cirrhosis over time.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more for women within two hours. It’s pretty easy to go over this limit and end up in trouble.

2. It’s a lot of calories

A 12-ounce serving of beer contains about 150 calories. Alcohol itself has seven calories per gram, but most beers have additional sugars and other ingredients that can add up to quite a few extra calories.

When used in moderation, beer can be part of a healthy diet. In fact, a study cited in The Telegraph showed that moderate drinking decreased death rates in men and women of all ages.

However, too many beers could actually increase your risk of health problems. One such problem is heart disease, which can be caused by the body turning excess carbohydrates into fat.

3. It’s a lot of dehydration

Beer may be the least dehydrating alcohol, but drinking too many of them in one night can lead to serious dehydration. It’s because alcoholic drinks increase your urination, and those trips to the bathroom strip your body of H2O.

And while it’s not clear whether any alcoholic beverage is more dehydrating than another, consuming mixed drinks might be less dehydrating than shots of alcohol. That’s because a vodka soda has added water, and that might slow the spike in blood alcohol levels. On the other hand, dark liquors like whiskey and brandy contain high levels of congeners, which might dehydrate you more quickly.

4. It’s a lot of liver damage

While there are some people, like Winston Churchill (who was arguably the greatest British Prime Minister of all time) who consumed 10+ drinks per day and lived to age 90 and beyond without any liver problems, it is generally accepted that heavy drinking can lead to cirrhosis.

Binge drinking can also raise your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, certain cancers, and heart disease. It can also cause intoxication, which may make it easier for you to get into trouble such as falling down a flight of stairs or wrecking your car.