Drinking more than the recommended 14 units per week can be causing harm to your body, inside and out.
You may notice some things, like putting on weight and feeling tired. Other things might not be visible as they are happening to the inside of your body.
Serious health harms include:
- Cancer- you’re 3 times more likely to get mouth cancer if you drink every day
- Breast cancer- you’re 20% more likely to get breast cancer if you drink above the guidelines
- Stroke- you’re more likely to have a stroke if you drink too much
- Liver disease- you’re nearly 2 times more likely to have liver problems if you drink over the guidelines
- Reduced fertility- your fertility is affected by how much you drink
The more you drink and the more frequently you drink, the greater risk to your health. If you have a medical condition already, drinking can cause your condition to worsen and make it harder for your body to cope.
Find out more by visiting One You.
Cutting down how much you are drinking, even by a few drinks each week, can really help reduce the risks of serious damage to your health.
Changing your current drinking habits can make a huge impact on your health later on.
Some top tips to “drink swap”
To help reduce your risk of serious health conditions swapping a few drinks in your week can make a big impact.
- Choose a drink with a lower %. You can find the alcohol content contained in drinks on the side of the bottle or can, under ABV. The lower the percentage, the better.
- Swap for smaller drinks. Have bottles instead of pints, and have singles not doubles.
- Pace yourself- try and slow down how much you drink. Having soft drinks in between alcoholic drinks will also help.
Alcohol Unit and Calorie Counter
Tell us how many drinks you have in an average week: