This page explains exactly how Mindrink calculates alcohol units, how we define limits, which international guidelines we rely on, and what parts of our model are derived.
Our goal is transparency: you should always know where the numbers come from and what they mean for real life.
Mindrink uses a simple, internationally recognised definition:
1 unit = 10 grams of pure alcohol
This system is used by WHO, Australia, Ireland, and many major research studies.
It allows all drinks — beer, wine, spirits, cocktails — to be compared on the same scale.
To estimate units:
Units = (Volume in ml × ABV% × 0.789) ÷ 10
Mindrink calculates this automatically, but here are quick examples:
Different countries count units differently.
For a deeper explanation, see our How to Count Alcohol Units guide.
Mindrink uses colours to help you quickly interpret your drinking patterns:
Colours are a simple interpretation layer — not a medical diagnosis.
(All values in units; 1 unit = 10 g)
| Tier | Sex | Daily ≤ (blue) |
Daily binge ≥ (red) |
Weekly ≤ (blue) |
Weekly high ≥ (red) |
Monthly ≤ (≈) |
Monthly high ≥ (≈) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strict | Men | 2 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 80 | Canada CCSA 2023 |
| Strict | Women | 2 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 80 | Canada CCSA 2023 |
| Balanced | Men | 4 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 40 | 80 | Australia NHMRC 2020 |
| Balanced | Women | 4 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 40 | 80 | Australia NHMRC 2020 |
| Relaxed | Men | 4 | 7 | 17 | 20 | 68 | 80 | Ireland HSE |
| Relaxed | Women | 4 | 6 | 11 | 20 | 44 | 80 | Ireland HSE |
These are the guideline components Mindrink uses exactly as published, with one harmonisation step:
everything is converted into Mindrink units = 10 g ethanol so different national systems can be compared directly.
Below are the original values, the logical conversions, and why each source is part of Mindrink's model.
Source: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (2023)
Canada does not present a single "safe limit."
Instead, it defines risk bands based on burden-of-disease modelling:
Canada defines a standard drink as:
13.45 g ethanol
Conversion to Mindrink units
Low-risk band (0–2 drinks/week):
2 × 13.45 g = 26.9 g → 2.7 units
Moderate-risk band (3–6 drinks/week):
3 drinks = 40.35 g → 4.0 units
6 drinks = 80.7 g → 8.0 units
So Canada's modelling translates into:
How Mindrink uses this
Canada's guideline is the most conservative internationally.
To create a practical but scientifically grounded strict tier, Mindrink sets:
Strict weekly limit = ≤ 5 units/week
5 units/week:
Why included
Source: National Health and Medical Research Council (2020)
Australia gives a clear, easily interpretable guideline:
An Australian standard drink is defined as:
10 g ethanol
Conversion to Mindrink units
Direct mapping:
Why included
Source: HSE Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines
Ireland provides higher, sex-specific weekly limits:
Ireland defines:
1 standard drink = 10 g ethanol
Conversion to Mindrink units
Why included
NIAAA (USA) binge criteria
US drink = 14 g ethanol
Conversions:
Rounded Mindrink thresholds:
WHO heavy episodic drinking (HED)
≥ 60 g ethanol in one occasion
→ 6 units
Why included
Both NIAAA and WHO align around ~60–70 g as the level where acute harms sharply increase
(injuries, poisoning, arrhythmia, self-harm, violence, falls).
These values define the Mindrink red zone for single-day consumption.
Official drinking guidelines differ widely:
To create a single, coherent, easy-to-understand system, Mindrink derives a small number of values.
These derivations are transparent, minimal, and grounded in public-health reasoning.
Why we derive daily limits
Canada (Strict tier) and Ireland (Relaxed tier) only specify weekly guidance.
Without daily caps, users cannot interpret whether an individual day is reasonable or approaching binge-like behaviour.
Strict tier — 2 units/day (derived)
Strict represents very low exposure, anchored in Canada's modelling:
A daily limit of 2 units/day ensures that even occasional heavier days do not accumulate into moderate- or high-risk weekly patterns.
Strict daily blue limit = 2 units/day
This keeps Strict genuinely strict — lower than any official national limit.
Balanced & Relaxed — 4 units/day (from Australia)
Australia (NHMRC 2020) is the only major guideline providing an explicit evidence-based daily limit:
≤ 4 drinks/day
= 4 units/day
Mindrink applies this to both tiers for consistency:
Daily limit summary
| Tier | Daily blue limit |
|---|---|
| Strict | 2 units/day |
| Balanced | 4 units/day |
| Relaxed | 4 units/day |
Why we derive this
No guideline defines a universal "high-risk week."
But large cohort studies identify clear risk acceleration beyond certain thresholds.
Scientific basis
Key studies include:
Both show:
Mindrink derivation
Weekly red threshold = ≥ 20 units/week
(20 × 10 g = 200 g ethanol)
This is the point where risk curves consistently steepen across studies.
It does not represent a recommended limit — it is a risk flag for weekly analysis.
Why
Both:
are sex-neutral.
Adding artificial differences where none exist would both distort the science and complicate interpretation.
Mindrink's approach
This keeps everything aligned with the underlying sources.
Mindrink uses a simplified colour scheme to make patterns easy to understand at a glance:
Why we derive this
Guidelines are numeric, not visual.
Colours help users understand their trends instantly without interpreting raw numbers.
This is a communication tool, not a diagnostic category.
Why
No public-health guideline provides monthly alcohol limits.
But Mindrink includes monthly and long-term charts, which require a reference point.
Derivation
A clear and transparent rule:
Monthly limit = Weekly limit × 4
Examples:
| Tier | Weekly | Monthly (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| Strict | 5 | 20 |
| Balanced | 10 | 40 |
| Relaxed (men) | 17 | 68 |
| Relaxed (women) | 11 | 44 |
Monthly limits are always labelled as derived, never official.
Mindrink's limits are guidance tools, not rules to follow perfectly.
Health guidelines describe risk ranges, not personal obligations.
Real life is more complex than weekly numbers:
some days are social, some stressful, some celebratory, some quiet.
Patterns shift over months and years. That's normal.
Mindrink is built on a simple principle:
The value isn't in being perfect.
The value is in being aware.
What matters is not hitting every target, but understanding your relationship with alcohol over time:
Mindrink never labels you, never shames you, and never treats limits as moral boundaries.
Our philosophy is straightforward:
Guidance, not guilt.
Awareness, not judgment.
You decide what "healthy" looks like for your life.
We provide the numbers so you can make informed decisions —
not so the numbers can make decisions for you.
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health
https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health
Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol
Weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines
https://www2.hse.ie/living-well/alcohol/health/improve-your-health/weekly-low-risk-alcohol-guidelines/
Rethinking Drinking
https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565639
(Most recent full edition: 2018; methodology continues to be used in current WHO alcohol monitoring.)
Wood et al., Lancet 2018
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30134-X/fulltext
No level of alcohol is completely safe (WHO 2023). These ranges show lower risk, not safety. Mindrink provides general educational information and does not give medical advice. If you have concerns about your drinking, please consult a clinician or local support service.
