Do you know your alcohol units?
If you drink alcohol, how do your drinks add up and are they putting your health at risk?
Most of us know that smoking causes cancer. But it is now proven that alcohol is a direct cause of at least seven types of cancer including bowel, breast, mouth and throat cancer.
It's not just heavy drinkers at risk. The risks start from one or two drinks a day and rise the more you drink. Any type of alcohol can cause cancer... whether it is wine, beer or spirits.
Regular drinking can also damage the liver and raise the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension) and stroke. It can worsen weight problems and increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
Alice Wiseman, Gateshead's Director of Public Health, said: "If you drink most days or binge at the weekend the fact is you're probably drinking above the recommended limits and putting health at risk.
"Alcohol can make us feel more tired and increase our risks of serious illness like cancer, high blood pressure and liver disease over time.
"Cutting down can reduce those risks."
The best way to reduce your risk is to cut down and limit your drinking:
- drink no more than 14 units a week (about six glasses of wine, six double spirits or six pints of lager) spread out over several days
- take more drink free days to give your body a break
Visit ReducemyRisk.tv (opens new window) for tips and free tools such as the free Try Dry app to track your units, calories and money saved when you cut down or cut out alcohol.
UK Chief Medical Officers' Low Risk Drinking Guidelines
The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidance (opens new window) is that men and women are safest not to drink more than 14 units per week. This does not mean no risk, but low risk.
The guidance states that a good way to cut down on alcohol consumption is to have several drink-free days each week. 14 units of alcohol is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or six medium glasses of wine. However - just one pint of premium lager or a large glass of wine can contain more than three units of alcohol.
If you drink alcohol, how do your drinks add up and are they putting your health at risk?
Most of us know that smoking causes cancer. But it is now proven that alcohol is a direct cause of at least seven types of cancer including bowel, breast, mouth and throat cancer.
It's not just heavy drinkers at risk. The risks start from one or two drinks a day and rise the more you drink. Any type of alcohol can cause cancer... whether it is wine, beer or spirits.
Regular drinking can also damage the liver and raise the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension) and stroke. It can worsen weight problems and increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
Alice Wiseman, Gateshead's Director of Public Health, said: "If you drink most days or binge at the weekend the fact is you're probably drinking above the recommended limits and putting health at risk.
"Alcohol can make us feel more tired and increase our risks of serious illness like cancer, high blood pressure and liver disease over time.
"Cutting down can reduce those risks."
The best way to reduce your risk is to cut down and limit your drinking:
- drink no more than 14 units a week (about six glasses of wine, six double spirits or six pints of lager) spread out over several days
- take more drink free days to give your body a break
Visit ReducemyRisk.tv (opens new window) for tips and free tools such as the free Try Dry app to track your units, calories and money saved when you cut down or cut out alcohol.
UK Chief Medical Officers' Low Risk Drinking Guidelines
The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidance (opens new window) is that men and women are safest not to drink more than 14 units per week. This does not mean no risk, but low risk.
The guidance states that a good way to cut down on alcohol consumption is to have several drink-free days each week. 14 units of alcohol is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or six medium glasses of wine. However - just one pint of premium lager or a large glass of wine can contain more than three units of alcohol.
