Dr Sarah Jarvis

Should we go alcohol-free?

Lots of people try “dry January”, but all too often they return to their old drinking habits as soon as the month is out. If you drink above the Government’s recommended limits, a month’s abstinence will help. However, your body will thank you much more in the long term if you keep alcohol intake down all year round – or even stop drinking entirely.

A unit of alcohol is about ½ a pint of normal strength beer or cider (extra strong versions can have up to 2 units in a half pint) or a single pub measure of spirits. A standard pub 175ml glass of wine has just ovver 2 units, and a large gllass contains 3.

According to the CChief Medical Officer, bboth men and women shhould avoid drinking mmore than 14 units a wweek, spread over sseveral days. If you’re ddrinking close to the uupper limit, it’s a good idea to have at least a couple of alcohol-free days a week. Ideally, pregnant women should avoid all alcohol, and should certainly not have more than 5 units a week.

There are many reasons for these limits. In the past, limits were set higher for men than for women – this is because women have a higher risk of liver problems in particular from lower levels of alcohol. But in the long term, it turns out that men are equally likely to increase their risk of several cancers from levels above 14 units – hence the change.

Breast cancer is a special concern for women where alcohol is concerned. For every daily unit of alcohol you drink, your risk of cancer increases by 7-10%. That means if you drink 21 units (just over 2 bottles of wine) a week, you’re up to a third more likely to get breast cancer than if you don’t drink at all. Cutting down or giving up alcohol can cut your risk of developing no fewer than seven types of cancer, including bowel cancer.

Cutting down alcohol also protects your liver – in extreme cases, excess alcohol can lead to cirrhosis – but even at lower levels your liver can become inflamed or marbled through with fat, making it work less efficiently. A small amount of alcohol does appear to protect some people’s hearts – but the benefits are quickly outweighed by the risks as intake rises.

There are lots of ways to reduce your alcohol intake

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easily. If you don’t want to stop completely, having more drink-free days can be an easy way to cut your weekly units. Other tips include not drinking alone, only drinking with meals, not keeping alcohol in the house, and alternating soft drinks with alcoholic drinks when you’re out.

Stopping alcohol completely can be tough at first, often because you’re in the habit of opening a can of beer or bottle of wine. In the short term, avoid situations where you “always” have a drink. Tell your friends and family, so they’ll support you and not offer you drinks. Keep a note of the money you’ve saved, then spend it on a non-alcoholic treat.

When most people think about the benefits of cutting down or stopping alcohol, it’s their liver that springs to mind.

But there are far more benefits, and many of them will kick in within days. Firstly, you’ll sleep better: many people think alcohol makes you sleep, but while it may help you drop off, the quality of your sleep is affected.

This can leave you waking early or feeling sluggish in the morning. You’ll also have more energy and be able to concentrate better, and are less likely to feel irritable.

Perhaps most surprisingly, stopping alcohol can have a positive impact on your appearance within days. Alcohol is a diuretic, so can dehydrate you, making skin look dull and lifeless. It’s also packed full of calories, with nearly as many calories, gram for gram, as pure fat, so it’ll be easier to shed excess weight. NEXT WEEK: Healthy lungs for life