The latest release from the UK Chief Medical Officer has put the UK in a bit of a spin. Why? Well, it’s drastically reduced the recommended alcohol intake for men and indicated a clear link between alcohol and cancer. A BBC documentary, The Truth About Alcohol follows an Accident & Emergency doctor who likes a social drink here and there, as he performs various experiments proving and debunking many widely held theories about drinking. The documentary itself is worth watching, but here’s a rundown of the main findings.
What’s the recommended limit?
According to the new findings, the UK has lowered their recommended alcohol limit to just 14 units per week for both men and women. 14 units is about six pints (±500ml) of beer (± 4% alcohol per glass); six 175ml glasses of wine (that’s quite a small glass); or about 7 shots (±45ml each) of spirits. They also recommend spreading the consumption of alcohol over the course of a few days, instead of saving it up for one or two big party nights per week. Capetonian Dr Jo Leach agrees: “[a] glass of wine or unit of spirits 3-4 times a week — great! In excess of that, you may be more at risk than you realise.”
What are some better choices to make?
The BBC documentary performed tests on various popular alcoholic drinks, like wine, gin, whiskey and vodka. They tested them for beneficial polyphenols, which help to dilate blood vessels protecting against certain heart conditions, and congeners, compounds that have been linked to more aggressive hangovers. In alignment with previous findings, a higher concentration of protective polyphenols were found in red wine, especially darker varieties. Congeners, on the other hand, are associated with darker alcohols, like whiskey and red wine, with clear alcohols like vodka and gin coming out congener-free. So if you want the protective effects of red wine without the harmful effects of the congeners, keep consumption to one or two glasses at a time.
How do these rules compare to international norms?
These new rules are quite a lot lower than international norms. In South Africa, “No more than two standard drinks (340ml or a half quart of beer) per day for women and no more than three
standard drinks per day for men,” according to the Drinking Guidelines on TalkingAlcohol.com. This translates to about 21 units per week for men, and 14 units per week for women. According to the Mail & Guardian, both the UK and SA have much lower guidelines than other countries, such as Spain which sits at the higher end of the spectrum with 35 and 22 units per week for men and women respectively.
What’s that link to cancer?
Many of us know that there are links between alcohol and a variety of health problems. Dr Leach says that, “[s]ome of the physical health risks include acute and chronic liver disease, acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and a long term effect on the balance centre of the brain.” These new guidelines suggest that there is also a “risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) [that] increases the more you drink on a regular basis.”
Is there any truth to the ‘lining your stomach’ method?
Yes! According to research and the documentary, eating a proper meal before drinking reduces the effects of alcohol by giving your alimentary canal something else to digest, slowing and diluting the effects of alcohol. So if you’re going to drink, make sure you have a good meal either before you start, or at least with your first drink.
These facts are interesting, and they have been released in the hope that they will help to curb the intake of harmful amounts of alcohol. Using these guidelines, you should still be able to enjoy yourself on occasion, but by reducing the overall volume of alcohol you may find that you save money, lose weight, live longer and reduce your risk of getting a variety of lifestyle diseases.
Sources:
- The Truth About Alcohol – BBC Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNq-JcVlYD4
- UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545937/UK_CMOs__report.pdf
- How do the UK’s new alcohol guidelines compare with the rest of the world’s?: https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2016/jan/08/how-do-the-uks-new-alcohol-guidelines-compare-with-the-rest-of-the-worlds
- Drinking guidelines: http://www.talkingalcohol.com/files/factsheets/social_drinkingguidelines.pdf
