Doctors Say You Should Stop Drinking Alcohol at This Age
Most people assume cutting back on alcohol is a personal choice rather than a medical milestone. But researchers and clinicians have been asking a more pointed question: is there an age when drinking becomes significantly riskier? And if so, what actually changes inside the body at that point?
New medical guidance suggests the answer may be more specific than many expect.
Why Late Sixties Matter
According to guidance from the University of Rochester Medical Centre, the body's response to alcohol changes substantially with age. After 65, lean muscle mass and total body water decline. Metabolism slows. This means alcohol "stays in your system longer," producing higher blood-alcohol levels than the same drinks would have generated decades earlier.
Alcohol also interacts more strongly with medications for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and ulcers, which many older adults take daily.
The centre states that sensitivity to alcohol increases because older adults are more likely to have issues with balance, eyesight and reaction time. Places people at higher risk of "falls, broken bones, and car crashes tied to drinking."
The Brain Angle
American neurologist Dr. Richard Restak argues the risks extend to the brain itself. In his 2021 book The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind, he writes that alcohol is "a very, very weak neurotoxin – it's not good for nerve cells." Maintains that continued drinking in later life may worsen age-related neuron loss.
His guidance is blunt: "I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet."
Dr. Restak claims significant reductions should begin at 65, with complete abstinence by 70. Argues this stage of life is when "preserving neurons is crucial."
He also highlights research cited by the Alzheimer's Society showing people who drink excessively have a higher risk of developing dementia over time.
Official Guidelines Are Less Strict
The University of Rochester Medical Centre aligns closely with Dr. Restak's suggested age threshold, though for slightly different reasons. Their guidance focuses on alcohol's interaction with chronic conditions common in later life, and the increased physical harm associated with impaired balance and slower reaction times.
They also cite wider risks associated with prolonged heavy drinking, including cancer and liver disease.
The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism advises that healthy adults over 65 who don't take medication should still limit intake to no more than seven drinks a week, and "no more than 1 to 2 drinks in a day."
Less strict than total abstinence, but still a significant reduction from what many people drink.
What Counts as a Standard Drink
According to the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism, a standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol—roughly 0.6 fluid ounces. That amount can be reached very differently depending on the beverage.
Many assume a pint of beer, a glass of wine and a shot of spirits are comparable. They're not. Alcohol by volume varies widely.
A standard drink is approximately:
12 ounces of regular beer at around 5% alcohol
5 ounces of wine at around 12% alcohol
1.5 ounces of distilled spirits at around 40% alcohol
A 12-ounce craft beer at 10% alcohol contains the equivalent of two standard drinks. Understanding this difference helps people interpret drinking guidelines more accurately.
The Bottom Line
Medical guidance points to age 65-70 as when drinking becomes significantly riskier. Your body processes alcohol differently. There is less muscle mass, slower metabolism, more medications that interact with alcohol. You get higher blood-alcohol levels from the same amount you used to drink without issue.
Dr. Restak takes the hardline position: eliminate alcohol completely by 65, definitely by 70. Official guidelines are less dramatic. National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism says healthy adults over 65 can still drink up to seven drinks a week if they're not on medication. But that's a ceiling, not a target.
The brain angle is what makes this more than just "alcohol is bad for you" messaging. Alcohol is a neurotoxin, even if weak. You lose 2-4% of neurons across a lifetime naturally. Drinking accelerates that loss. After 65, preserving what you have becomes more important. Research linking excessive drinking to dementia risk backs this up.
Whether you follow this advice is personal. Plenty of people over 65 still drink and are fine. But the age at which drinking becomes medically riskier is less ambiguous than many imagined. For most people, it arrives sooner than expected.
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