03\ BOOZE!

In excess, the sauce slathers your longevity in all sorts of nasties. In reality, a celebratory tipple may well be the toast to your good health

The Fear While your Friday night pint is nothing to be scared of, 63,000 Brits will suffer booze-related deaths over the next five years. But according to headlines (and research in the British Medical Journal), even occasional drinkers triple their risk of brain atrophy and dementia. You can be forgiven for requiring some Dutch courage.

The Truth Buy-one-get-onefree offers and industry lobbying meant that by 2004 we were guzzling more alcohol than we had in a century. But in the last decade, restraint has returned. “In turn, there has been a drop in alcoholrelated health problems,” says Dr John Holmes, from the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group. In fact, more than a quarter of 16-to-24-year-olds abstain completely, according to the Office for National Statistics. Fancy some healthy red wine? Not so fast; GPS have recently rowed back on claims that the odd glass is healthier than teetotalism. In fact, the government’s chief medical officer says the safest amount of booze is none at all. Good for your body, meagre sustenance for your soul.

The Plan Despite these claims, moderate drinking isn’t quite the evil it’s made out to be. It balances out your risk of diabetes while enhancing memory and cognitive health. And dulling the damage isn’t rocket science: the University of Southampton found an extra two cups of coffee a day can lessen liver issues by 44%. Put the kettle on.