Drinking 5 glasses of strong alcohol, how long does it take for the alcohol concentration to reach 0?

Below is the advice of Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, in charge of the Vietnam - Russia Hyperbaric Oxygen Center, Vietnam - Russia Tropical Center, Ministry of National Defense .

Alcohol units and elimination mechanisms

The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the concept of alcohol unit to help assess the level of alcohol consumption. Specifically, 1 alcohol unit is equivalent to 10g of pure ethanol. Converted according to each type of beverage to 200ml of beer (nearly 1 glass), 75ml of wine (nearly 1 standard glass), 25ml of spirits (nearly 1 small cup).

Once in the body, alcohol is eliminated through three main routes: 10 - 15% through the respiratory tract, skin, sweat, 85 - 90% through the liver.

How long does it take to completely eliminate alcohol?

According to Dr. Hoang, in healthy adults, the liver can process about 1 unit of alcohol per hour. However, this time can vary depending on the individual, especially in people with poor liver function or heavy weight.

In case of drinking 5 glasses of strong alcohol (about 40 degrees), equivalent to 5 units of alcohol, the liver will take about 5 hours to process all this alcohol. After the liver eliminates it, the body still needs 3 more hours for the alcohol concentration in the blood to return to 0. The total time for the alcohol concentration to no longer be affected when measured by a breathalyzer is about 8 hours.

Factors affecting alcohol excretion rate

Dr. Hoang emphasized that there is no absolutely correct answer for alcohol elimination time because many factors can affect it such as:

Amount of alcohol consumed: When drinking a lot, the liver tends to eliminate alcohol faster, but when the alcohol concentration is low, the elimination rate is slower.

Health status: People with good liver function will eliminate faster.

Diet: If you drink alcohol after a full meal, the alcohol will be absorbed more slowly, thereby slowing down the elimination process.

Calculating the time it takes for your blood alcohol level to drop to zero is only an estimate. To be safe, it is best not to drive after drinking and to give your body enough time to completely eliminate alcohol.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/uong-5-chen-ruou-manh-mat-bao-lau-nong-do-con-moi-ve-0.html