If you drink alcohol, how do your drinks add up? Are they putting your health at risk this winter?
Most of us know smoking causes cancer. But just like tobacco, alcohol is toxic. Alcohol is a Group One carcinogen which causes at least seven types of cancer including bowel, breast, mouth and throat cancer.
Just one or two drinks a day can increase the risk of cancer. Any type of alcohol is carcinogenic, whether it’s beer, wine or spirits.
The best way to reduce your risk is to cut down how much and how often you drink drinking:
- Drink no more than 14 units a week to stay “low risk” (about six glasses of wine, six double spirits or six pints of lager a week)
- Take at least three drink free days a week to give your body a break.
Cutting down on alcohol has many benefits – it can improve your mood and help you feel more energetic, give your mental health a boost and even lower blood pressure and lose weight.
Alcohol is linked to more than 200 medical conditions including 7 types of cancer, liver disease, heart disease and stroke. It can worsen weight problems and worsen anxiety and depression.
Try the quiz at ReduceMyRisk.tv to see how your drinks add up and find out about ways to cut down.
Drink Coach offers an alcohol test and access to online coaching.
Don’t forget – Dry January isn’t too far away. Go to the Dry January website for information and resources on how you can take on 31 days alcohol-free.