Alcohol . Bond 's alcohol . The British spy James Bond may routinely get himself out of dangerous situations with skill and charm , but his body may be suffering all the while because of his drinking habits . British researchers predict he could die from alcohol-related causes , such as liver damage , by age 56 . Scientists wanted to examine just how much alcohol the famous fictional secret agent consumes , and what effect that could have on his health . They published a study , led by Graham Johnson of the emergency department of Royal Derby Hospital , in the British Medical Journal 's Christmas edition , which features a variety of offbeat research papers . Researchers found Bond 's weekly alcohol consumption totaled 92 units a week , which is more than four times what doctors recommend . A real person would not be able to carry out such complicated tasks and function as well as Bond does while maintaining such habits , they conclude . A unit of alcohol is defined as 10 milliliters or 8 grams of pure ethanol in the United Kingdom . For some perspective on that , a bottle of wine is nine units , and a pint of beer is three , according to this study . The finding of 92 units a week could actually be the low end of the truth , as studies have shown that `` people generally underestimate their alcohol consumption by about 30 % , '' the study said , noting other research has demonstrated that health surveys do n't account for about half of all alcohol sold . In other words , Bond may be drinking much more than the large quantities portrayed in the books . `` We advise an immediate referral for further assessment and treatment , '' the study authors wrote , as well as `` a reduction in alcohol to safe levels . '' 10 hotels featured in James Bond movies . Two study authors analyzed all 14 original James Bond books by Ian Fleming , focusing on the number of days on which alcohol-related events were described . But each of them only read half the books , representing a shortcoming of the study , which was conducted in `` the study authors ' homes , in a comfy chair . '' They found that in `` From Russia with Love , '' on the third day of the story , Bond drank about 50 units of alcohol -- the highest daily consumption in the collection of stories . It also appears that the spy 's alcohol intake dropped around the middle of his career , but then picked back up gradually toward the end . `` This consistent but variable lifetime drinking pattern has been reported in patients with alcoholic liver disease , '' study authors wrote . Note that researchers did not analyze the Bond films , only the books , so the precise level of alcoholism that Bond portrays on the big screen is an open question . James Bond 50th anniversary coverage . About 2.5 million deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol use , the study said . The cause of alcohol-related death is most often injury , liver cirrhosis , poisoning and malignancy . A real person who drank as much as Bond , more than 60 grams of alcohol per day , would be in the highest risk group for malignancies , depression , hypertension and cirrhosis and could also suffer sexual dysfunction . Early death would be likely for the spy as a result of such rampant alcohol consumption , researchers said . Fleming , the author who created the Bond character , and frequently drank and smoked tobacco , died at age 56 of heart disease . `` We suspect that Bond 's life expectancy would be similar , '' the researchers wrote . Alcoholism may even be responsible for Bond 's famous catchphrase `` vodka martini -- shaken , not stirred . '' This may have health-related implications , too . Study authors posit that if Bond 's alcohol consumption in the books is so chronic and excessive , he may be suffering from an alcohol-induced tremor . Chronic exposure to alcohol can damage a part of the brain called the cerebellum , which can lead to a tremor . This suggests -- and of course , this is only speculation -- that perhaps Bond ca n't actually stir his drinks . James Bond submarine car sells for $ 920,000 . Is Bond the man with the golden liver ? `` In Casino Royale he drinks over 39 units before engaging in a high-speed car chase , losing control , and spending 14 days in hospital , '' study authors wrote . `` We hope that this was a salutatory lesson . '' And yet , Bond kept drinking in subsequent novels . There 's plenty of opportunity for another installment : `` From Rehab With Love . ''
Study looked at 14 James Bond novels . About 2.5 million deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol use . Researchers project Bond could die at age 56 because of alcohol use .