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Quiz: Alcohol and Your Health

Test yourself on how — and how much — drinking affects the body and mind

Selene Yeager

En español

Published June 07, 2021

8 Questions

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Quiz: Alcohol and Your Health

[ {
  "question" : "How many drinks is considered too many?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "More than two for both men and women of all ages",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "More than two for men; more than one for women",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "More than one for everyone over 65",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "More than three for men, two for women",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The 2020-2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than one drink for women per day, and no more than two for men. However, the guidelines note that drinking less is better for health than drinking more.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which counts as one standard drink?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "One pint of beer",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "One Manhattan",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "One mini-bottle of wine (typically 6.3 ounces)",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "None of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Surprise! And sorry. While many of us just consider one glass, goblet, pint, snifter, mug or other vessel of choice as “one drink,” we may be fooling ourselves. According to U.S. Dietary Guidelines, “one drink” is technically: 12 ounces of beer, at 5 percent alcohol; 5 ounces of wine, at 12 percent alcohol; 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits, at 40 percent alcohol — that’s about one shot, but strong cocktails like the Manhattan can contain 2 ounces of whiskey plus 1 ounce of 18-percent-alcohol sweet vermouth.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
  "question" : "Binge drinking is defined as:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Chugging beer and/or doing shots",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Consuming four or more drinks for women, five for men within about two hours",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Consuming two or more drinks for both men and women within about two hours",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Having three different types of alcoholic beverages in one day",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Shot-gunning a PBR and slamming a nip of Jose Cuervo, while not recommended as healthy drinking, is by itself not technically a binge. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines define binge drinking as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men within about two hours.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
  "question" : "The proof on a bottle of liquor indicates:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Double the percentage of alcohol in the liquor",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "The number of ounces of alcohol in 50 ounces of liquor",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The odds out of 100 that gunpowder could ignite after soaking in the liquor",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The percentage of alcohol in the liquor",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The proof number on the label is double the percentage of alcohol contained in the liquid. So an 80 proof bottle of gin would be 40 percent alcohol. The proof system was established in 16th-century England, where officials would reportedly soak a pellet of gunpowder with the liquor, and if they could still ignite the wet gunpowder, the liquor was rated above “100 proof” and would be taxed at a higher rate.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
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}, {
  "question" : "Tolerance for alcohol:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Increases with age.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Decreases with age.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Depends on your genes.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B and C",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Older adults generally experience the effects of alcohol more quickly than when they were younger, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Research also finds that our brain response to alcohol is partly influenced by our genetic makeup.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
  "question" : "What proportion of Americans ages 12 and older are thought to be problem drinkers?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "1 in 5",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "1 in 19",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "1 in 20",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "About half",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "An estimated 5.3 percent of people ages 12 or older, or 14.5 million people, have alcohol use disorder, according to the NIAAA.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
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}, {
  "question" : "What is the relationship between alcohol and the liver?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "The liver stores alcohol so it is released slowly into the bloodstream.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The liver helps remove alcohol from the blood.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "The liver helps transport alcohol to your brain.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The liver adds chemicals to the alcohol that create that drunk feeling.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The liver metabolizes alcohol, changing it to a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is toxic. Too much of it can damage the liver and eventually lead to alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver caused by drinking alcohol) or cirrhosis, where healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue. This can limit the liver’s ability to function, and it has a lot to do. Among other things, the organ produces bile for digestion, filters out toxins and metabolizes saturated fat.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
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}, {
  "question" : "Too much alcohol over time can:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Mask some warning signs of a heart attack",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Create symptoms similar to dementia",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Worsen chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Heavy drinking can take a heavy toll on your health. According to the National Institute on Aging, drinking too much alcohol over the years can, among other things: cause changes in your heart and blood vessels, and dull pain that would otherwise warn you of a heart attack; lead to confusion and forgetfulness that looks similar to Alzheimer’s disease; exacerbate conditions like osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and mood disorders; and increase your likelihood of certain kinds of cancer.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
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} ]

Quiz Progress

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