Live Healthier Without Alcohol

Having a couple more alcohol-free days each week is often an easy way to cut down if you don't want to quit

-  Dr Sarah Jarvis

More than half of people in the UK drink alcohol at least once a week. 1 in 7 women and almost 1 in 3 men drink more than the recommended limits of alcohol - and those aged 55-64 are most likely to exceed these limits. If you're concerned about your alcohol intake, your GP can provide advice and support to help you cut down. There's no down side to quitting alcohol from your health's perspective. In fact, it could be the start of a whole new energy-filled you.

Let's start with the basics. A unit of alcohol is about ½ a pint of normal-strength beer or a single pub measure of spirits. A standard glass of wine has just over 2 units, and a large glass has 3. National guidelines recommend men and women sticking to a maximum of 14 units a week - that's about 7 pints of normal strength beer or 1½ bottles of wine in total.

These levels have been set by the Chief Medical Officer mostly because the risk of developing cancer goes up even if you drink close to these limits. If you're drinking 14 units a week but having them all on a couple of evenings (especially on an empty stomach) you could also run into problems. For instance, "binge drinking" (more than about 6 units at a time for a woman or 8 units for a man) puts you at higher risk of accidents and stroke in the short term.