A new set of alcohol guidelines issued by health officials in the United Kingdom take a hard stance: any amount of alcohol increases cancer risk, and is generally unhealthy.
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United Kingdom health experts have updated their recommendations for alcohol consumption with guidelines on Alcohol Consumption.
But the government is warning against “saving up” these 14 units for one or two days in the week, instead advising to spread them over three or more days with alcohol-free days in between.
Both men and women should try to consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week – a drop from the previous guidance of 21 units for men.
People should not “save up” their units and drink them all in one or two goes.
But as we all know, drinking can have adverse effects on our health and new guidelines have now been issued cutting down the recommended list for alcohol consumption.
The new advice has recommended that men and women who consume regularly should drink less than 14 units per week, which equals to six beer pints or seven wine glasses.
Most worryingly, perhaps, the new United Kingdom advice suggests that there is no safe level of drinking – and any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, according to new research. This is the equivalent of a bottle and a half of wine over the course of a week.
The health benefits of alcohol have been subject to debate by scientists for years.
Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, said: “I want pregnant women to be very clear that they should avoid alcohol as a precaution”.
The recommendations, which are out for consultation, provide advice on weekly drinking limits, single episodes of drinking and drinking during pregnancy. Those new guidelines could prove hard to swallow in a nation where having a pint is a hallowed tradition.
“It all seems to come down to what pleasure you get from moderate drinking”.
“Despite little evidence of harm from low levels of drinking, it is not possible to say that such drinking carries no risks of harm to the foetus at all”, the report states. The risk of getting some alcohol related cancers gradually reduces over time when people stop drinking, but can take many years before the risk falls to the levels found in people who have never drunk alcohol. The British report said it “concluded that there is no justification for drinking for health reasons”.
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“Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause serious health problems and this has wide-ranging implications for individuals, their families and communities, and the health and social services”, he said.
