How long alcohol stays in your system depends on a number of factors. A big concern that many people have after a long night of drinking is how long alcohol will remain in their system. It takes time for alcohol to be processed by the body. On average, it takes about one hour to metabolize one standard drink.
Blood : Alcohol is eliminated from the bloodstream at about 0.015 per hour. Alcohol can show up in a blood test for up to 12 hours. Urine : Alcohol can be detected in urine for up 3 to 5 days via the ethyl glucuronide (EtG) test or 10 to 12 hours via the traditional method. Hair : Similar to other drugs, alcohol can be detected in a hair follicle drug test for up to 90 days.
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How long does it take to fully digest alcohol?
How Long Will It Take for Alcohol to Leave Your Body? – The body generally processes approximately one standard drink per hour. If you have 5 standard drinks, it will take 5 hours for your body to process the alcohol. For some examples of how long it will take for your body to process various amounts of alcohol consult the table below.
| Time of Drinks | Number of Drinks Consumed | Time Alcohol Has Left Body |
| 1:00pm | 3 standard drinks | 4:00pm |
| 1:00pm | 5 standard drinks | 6:00pm |
| 1:00pm | 10 standard drinks | 11:00pm |
| 5:00pm | 3 standard drinks | 8:00pm |
| 5:00pm | 5 standard drinks | 10:00pm |
| 5:00pm | 10 standard drinks | 3:00am |
| 9:00pm | 3 standard drinks | 12:00am |
| 9:00pm | 5 standard drinks | 2:00am |
| 9:00pm | 10 standard drinks | 7:00am |
How long does it take liver to digest alcohol?
How does alcohol move through the body? – Once swallowed, a drink enters the stomach and small intestine, where small blood vessels carry it to the bloodstream. Approximately 20% of alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and most of the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine.
- Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, where enzymes break down the alcohol.
- Understanding the rate of metabolism is critical to understanding the effects of alcohol.
- In general, the liver can process one ounce of liquor (or one standard drink) in one hour.
- If you consume more than this, your system becomes saturated, and the additional alcohol will accumulate in the blood and body tissues until it can be metabolized.
This is why pounding shots or playing drinking games can result in high blood alcohol concentrations that last for several hours. For an interactive look at alcohol moving through the human body, click here
Does your liver grow back after alcohol?
Liver cancer – Liver damage due to heavy drinking over many years can also increase your risk of developing liver cancer, Over the past few decades, rates of liver cancer in the UK have risen sharply due to increased levels of alcohol misuse, It’s estimated that, every year, 3-5% of people with cirrhosis will develop liver cancer.
What is the #1 worst drink for your liver?
The #1 Worst Drink for Your Liver, Says Dietitian Unwinding with a glass of or a cold beer after work always seems luxurious, and few celebrations feel complete without a glass of, While you can get away with a drink every now and then, dietitians agree that does the most liver damage out of any beverage.
- Alcohol is the worst drink for your liver as it makes it harder on the liver to break down and remove toxins from the body,” says,
- Alcohol is known to cause damage to this vital organ, but a wide variety of alcoholic drinks can also pose health risks,” says Janet Coleman, RD at,
- In fact, some people may be at risk of poisoning if they consume too much alcohol.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends that men consume no more than 24 grams of alcohol per day, while women should limit themselves to 12 grams per day.” Certain types of alcoholic drinks end up contributing the most towards, “Hard liquor contains more alcohol than beer or wine, making it more dangerous for your liver,” continues Coleman.
Another alcoholic beverage also takes a considerable toll on your liver.”Unlike other alcoholic drinks, hard cider has a high concentration of ethanol which can lead to stomach problems when consumed in large quantities,” says Coleman. RELATED:
Luckily, anyone who enjoys the buzz contained in each of these drinks can find some at their local grocery store. “The best replacement would be a, which contributes good bacteria to the and does not contribute toxins for your liver to remove,” says Valencia.
Guayusa, an alternative drink to alcohol, has been around for many years in Ecuador and other South American countries,” adds Coleman. “It is a natural stimulant that is said to relieve stress and boost energy levels without affecting the mind the same way does.” While research on the benefits of guayusa has yet to be done, Coleman notes that this drink is “considered by some as nature’s energy drink; a healthier alternative to coffee and tea.
It is used in traditional medicine to treat headaches and menstrual pain, among other things.” For more drinking tips, read these next: : The #1 Worst Drink for Your Liver, Says Dietitian
How do I detox my liver ASAP?
6-Step Liver Cleanse – If you notice any of the symptoms of a damaged liver—or you’ve been exposed to some of the causes of liver malfunction, like medications, pollution, and environmental toxins—you may want to try this 6-step liver cleanse:
Remove toxic foods from your diet: Processed foods, sugary foods and drinks, fast foods, hydrogenated oils, excessive alcohol, refined grains, and chemically sprayed fruits and vegetables put a heavy toll on the liver and can damage liver function. As part of a liver cleanse, stick to healthy foods like organic leafy greens, fresh herbs, cruciferous vegetables, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar. Drink raw vegetable juice : Juicing with a variety of raw vegetables will help to ensure that you’re getting all of the veggies you need to boost the health of your liver. Juicing vegetables also makes them easier to digest, taking stress off of the liver and making nutrients more readily available for absorption. Eat high potassium foods : Potassium helps to cleanse the liver, so loading up on is key. Some of these foods include sweet potatoes, spinach, avocados, wild-caught salmon, bananas, and white beans. Do a coffee enema : A will aid detoxification and help to relieve symptoms of liver malfunction like fatigue and constipation. To do a coffee enema, combine 2 tablespoons of organic ground coffee with 3 cups of filtered water and bring it to a boil. After letting it simmer for 15 minutes and allowing it to cool, strain your mixture with a cheesecloth and use it in your enema kit. Take liver-cleansing supplements : Some of the best supplements for cleansing the liver include milk thistle, turmeric, and dandelion root. These supplements support healthy liver tissue, strengthen the cell walls in the liver, and promote detoxification. Eat liver (or take beef liver tablets) : Organic chicken or beef liver is full of important nutrients that will work to boost the health of your own liver. If you’d rather not consume the nutrient-rich food (it can definitely be an acquired taste), then try taking beef liver pills instead.
Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist and author with a passion to help people get well using food as medicine. Read his full bio, 
: Signs You Need to Detox Your Liver ASAP—And How to Do It
Can I drink myself sober?
Is it possible to drink yourself sober? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk
- Is it possible to drink yourself sober?
- Richard Marchewka, Keighley UK
- I’m willing to try.
- William Barrett, London NW10
- Absolutely not. What’ll eventually happen is a combination of vomiting/unconsciousness/coma/death.
- Carla, Crewe, UK
- I have never drunk myself sober, but there is a state of mind you can achieve (apparently) prior to slipping into an alcohol induced coma – it is often referred to as being so drunk, that you feel sober. Of course, the person is still very drunk.
- Cenny Howlem, Rochester
- I have been in this state and the result is a delayed, but twice as bad hangover! Definitely not recommended.
- Fi, Harlow Essex
- The answer depends on what you’re drinking. Tequila, no. Milk, yes.
- Daniel, Madrid
- In theory, it’s possible. Imagine that the liver removes a unit of alcohol per hour. After five pints, you’d be completely free of alcohol in five hours. Now, if during that time, you continue to drink – but at a rate LESS than one unit per hour, there would come a point where the liver has “caught up” on the five units already in you system. You body is then only working on the small amount you continue to take in. Thus, your blood alcohol level would be reduced, but you would still be drinking.
- Rick Webber, London
- Actually there are 10 units of alcohol in 5 pints of beer.
- Anthony, Glasgow, Scotland
- Trust a Glaswegian to know how many units of alcohol there is in a pint. However, if it is premium lager then that can count as three units per pint. But then again, I’m from Glasgow too.
- David, Glasgow Scotland
- I’ve never tried drinking myself sober, but I have drank, (or is that drunk?) other people sober.
- Patrick, Montreal, Canada
- Using a common maxim that sobriety is best defined as an anxiety state brought about by a lack of alcohol, then absolutely not!
- (Dr) Robert Kidd, Sydney Australia
- Well.due to experiance, it is near enough possible. For e.g last week in town I passed out due to too much alcohol intake, however with 3 hours sleep and 2 pints in the morning (approx 12.00), I was sober & had never felt better! TRY IT
- Nat, Birmingham U.K
- I think Rick’s right, though 5 pints is pushing it. I have occasionally started off with a couple of drinks, got quite tiddly on an empty stomach, then eaten and continued drinking – slowly. After a while it is entirely possible for your liver to catch up and you are much more sober than you were before eating. This happens to me occasionally at parties when I’m just not in the mood for serious boozing.
- Alan Moore, London UK
- Well listen – I will help settle the argument if you’re all willing to pay for the beer! Haha! I have never been in the state myself, I can only assume that you must be so drunk that you think you are sober once again. Lets face it – people “know” they can still drive when they are very drunk so imagine what you would “know” if you carried on drinking right through. Pure madness.
- Jon F, Liverpool England
- God I hope not I love the fuzzy felling of being drunk.
- Christina Hughes, Tonyrefail Wales
- I”ve done it twice and the worst aspect on both occasions was the realisation that all of the money spent on beer had been utterly wasted.
- Dave Murphy, Dublin, Ireland
- I’ll let you know, just give me a couple of days and I’ll get back to you.
- Mike Black, Srebarna, Bulgaria
- It’s possible – I have recently done it. I drank so much and I didn’t stop drinking therefore I was drunk, then I felt sober I think I might have slowed down on the alcohol. After I was sober, I got drunk again! Very fun. Try it!
- Gina, Cardiff, Wales
- I don’t believe so, but it’s possible to drink Canada Dry.
- Anthony Gumbrell, Seattle USA
- I just did it tonight. Wierdest thing, granted I have a metabolism so high that I am eating every hour of the day. I drank day starting at 12, got buzzed, then sober, then drunk again at 4, then sober and by 9 tonight I was suppose to be drunk after drinking several shots, but nothing, I’m still clean and clear right now, never have I had this much alcohol in my system in one day, my head is pounding a bit, but the alcohol at the bar the last 5 hours have done nothing. I walked home from the bar feeling good.
- Dave, Allentown, USA
- It’s the weirdest thing really. I was sitting at my friends house and he says help yourself to the case of beer, so i gladly oblige. I get through about half the case, get a nice buzz going on. I keep drinking, when I run outta beer I grab a new one. I get through about the whole case, and I look at everyone around me and the strangest feeling comes over me. I realize “I don’t feel drunk anymore.” Not that I felt that I could do ANYTHING like drive a car but that warm fuzzy not being able to walk drunk feeling was not there anymore. I actually became sad at that point, like a child that lost its favorite stuffed animal. And then angry at my drunken impotence. It never happened to me before, and hopefully never again, but I’ll never be able to explain it. I literaly drank myself sober.
- Anthony, Pittsburgh, US
- Drinking yourself sober? No. Drinking so much you THINK you are sober? Definitely. Had a bad back the other day. Decided to try drinking myself into a pain free oblivion. I had battered down the final defences of a poor bottle of scotch. The case of beer had had better days. The bottle of port was just coming around to my way of thinking. The cats had given up arguing with me, and the fluffy pink elephant had long ago given up trying to keep up. A few drinks later my head felt completely clear. Judging by the incredible difficulty I had finding my way to bed however I was pretty sure that no matter how I felt, sober wasn’t close to where I was. Woke up a few hours later feeling on top of the world too.
- Chris, Sydney Australia
- Drink yourself sober? It sounds impossible, but it has happened to me twice. It does not work if you are out for a couple of hours and pour alcohol repeatedly down your neck (then you will be drunk). Both times it happened to me was on (rare for me) all-day drinking sessions, drinking Lager. One example was a group of us went out for a day, starting drinking at 11am. The tempo was relatively quick for the first three hours, and then the pace slowed somewhat due to relocating somewhere different and having some food. At that point i felt “tipsy”. I seemed to sober up after eating and once drinking resumed I found that I was able to drink quickly again with no effects being felt, this carried on for a further 5-6 hours. The group walked back after a 12 hour “session” in a state of surprise that we all felt remarkably good and composed.
- Michael, Lincoln UK
- I am doing it right now.120 lbs and 14 beers in 4 hrs and feel like I could operate heavy equipment or write fairly intellectual and properly spelled messages. Very odd. Ran across this post because I’m searching for an answer as well, and it is scary how sober I am right now.
- Abby Skinner, Saegertown, United States
- There are 3 units in a British pint of 5% Lager. It takes an hour for a healthy liver to remove 1 unit. So it would take 15 hours to fully sober up after 5 pints. And no you can not drink yourself sober. You can slowly sober up if you drink less than 1 unit per hour. It’s not, however, the drinking that is sobering you up, it is the action of your liver.
- Adey, New York US
- I’m doing it now
- Andy, Middletown USA
- This has happened to me all my life starting at age 18. After 4 or 5 drinks I become clear and sober. It happens every time. In 45 years I have never experienced a hangover. No explanation but my friends love it because I was always the one to clean up the messes the day after parties in college. I stopped drinking because I find it a huge waste of money!
- Dr. Bob, Portland USofA
- The reason no one seems to know if this is possible or not is because all of you seem to be trying to accomplish this drinking beer. Now don’t get me wrong, I love beer, but there really is a limit to how much I can drink before I get sick, however high that limit may be. Liquor on the other hand is quite different. The morning of my sisters wedding, a friend of mine and myself began drinking, roughly 8am. Throughout the day we made our way through about a gallon of liquor between us. Now that being said, we did eat throughout the day like normal, however, we still were able to get drunk. Later that night at the reception we kicked our drinking into overdrive. Around 3am, we began to notice that we were no longer getting drunker, in fact, quite the opposite. To this day I don’t know why or how but the alcohol no longer was affecting us, to the point where we can honestly say we became sober. In all honesty, we were so upset because we felt like we were wasting money, but we had a good night so it all turned out okay. If someone wants to try and explain how that happened to me feel free.
- Tye, Prince George USA
- I think it is possible, at this moment in time I am sat here feeling relatively sober (technically I KNOW I’m drunk) but I feel totally normal/with it (as they say). The rest of my companions are all passed out! This is not the first time this has happened, and I know that in the long term I’m probably the one doing the most amount of damage to my self/organs and so forth. BUT I can honestly say that after a point. the alcohol you consume affects your mental state much less than you would imagine. However saying that. I categorically DO NOT advise you try this as I’m almost positively convinced that this advanced state of drunkeness cannot be achieved by everyone. But anyway. I wish you all goodnight, and remember to drink responsibly!!! Bye, xxx
- Chris, London United Kingdom
: Is it possible to drink yourself sober? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk
Can you drink and still be sober?
The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no. It really depends on the individual and their level of addiction. A heavy drinker may be able to occasionally have a drink without relapsing.