Alcohol

After a long day, many of us like to unwind with a nice glass of something. But it’s funny how drink can sneak up on us. The odd glass in the evening can quickly become two or three regular glasses, most evenings. The trouble is that drink sneaks up on bodies too – it can give our organs a hard time. Regularly drinking over the guidelines can lead to serious health problems, from liver damage to a greater risk of getting cancer or having a heart attack. And don't forget that alcohol also contains calories, so it can contribute to weight gain. It can be a bit tricky to understand and remember how much alcohol is in drinks, and how this can affect our health. The lower risk guidelines can help with this. All you really need to do, if you choose to drink, is to stick within the guidelines below. There’s one for women and one for men.

• Women – 2-3 units per day – that is no more than 175ml glass of wine (approx 126 calories)
• Men – 3-4 units per day – that is no more 1 pint of strong lager, beer or cider (approx 180 calories)

No one can say that drinking alcohol is absolutely safe, but by keeping within these guidelines, there’s only a low risk of causing harm in most circumstances. For more information on alcohol visit the Government's Change 4 Life website