Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

JANUARY 2020 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 85

HEALTH

my friend hold her drink? on p83). This compares with
fewer than 15% of individuals of European descent
who have this gene mutation.
Until DNA testing is reliable, widespread and
affordable, allowing insight into these kinds of
personal metabolic details, the best advice is never
to compare a lack of desire to drink alcohol against
someone else’s enthusiasm and apparent ‘capability’
to do so. Stick to your guns and avoid being sucked
into over-drinking just because others around you
seem to be fine doing so.

Q

Is there a simple way of
calculating how many
units a drink has?

Yes, it’s all in the maths. You just need to know the
volume in millilitres (ml) and the percentage alcohol
by volume (ABV) that the drink contains, then use
this simple calculation:
PUNCH IN THE NUMBERS... Multiply the drink in
millilitres by the ABV. Once you have this figure, divide
it by 1,000. For example, if you want to know the
number of units in a large (250ml) glass of 14% ABV
red wine, you multiply 250 x 14, which gives 3,500.
Now divide 3,500 by 1,000, which gives 3.5. The
answer shows one 250ml glass of 14% ABV wine
provides you with 3.5 units of alcohol.

Q

Do we tolerate alcohol less

well as we get older?

Just as we visibly age, our bodies change on the
inside and one of these changes is a decrease in our
physiological tolerance for alcohol. This is partly due
to muscle wastage and having a higher percentage
of fat and less body water (see Why can’t women
match men? on p83) as we grow older.
Also, our thirst mechanisms tend not to be as
sensitive, which can lead to dehydration and even
less water in our systems for the alcohol to be

12% ABV

WINE

80ml

14% ABV

WINE

70ml

15% ABV CREAM

LIQUEUR

(OR DRY SHERRY)

65ml

22% ABV

SWEET

SHERRY

45ml

20% ABV

PORT

50ml

25% ABV

PIMM’S

40ml (glass topped

up with mixer)

40% ABV

SPIRITS

25ml

dissolved in. Add to this the potential for our

liver to be less efficient at processing and our

brain’s increased sensitivity to alcohol, and

it is understandable that some experts

recommend halving the 14 unit a week advice

to seven or less.

When considering your intake, it’s vital to

understand how alcohol may interact with any

medications you’re taking, and how even in low

amounts, alcoholic drinks can increase the risk of

falls and fractures and exacerbate and accelerate

some conditions such as high blood pressure and

cognitive decline.

Q

Blood tests at my GP show

my liver is fine, so can I keep

drinking most nights?

The answer is no. First, because it’s recommended

we all include some alcohol-free evenings every

week, and second because alcohol-related liver

disease shows few obvious symptoms in its early

stages. This means tests can appear normal, even

when the liver is actually already suffering damage.

For a proper assessment of your liver function and

any damaging scarring, which leads to cirrhosis,

you’d need to have a liver scan.

Q

Does a month off the booze

revive a tired liver?

Every time you drink alcohol some of your liver cells

are killed off. However, to a point, the liver is able to

regenerate itself. This capability is lessened the

longer you’ve been drinking – and stops altogether

once permanent damage has been done. If, by a

‘tired’ liver, you mean that you usually stick with 14

units or less per week, then yes, a month off alcohol

will give your liver a well-earned rest. If you already

have diagnosed liver damage, giving up alcohol

entirely should be your aim.

^Know the

volume in ml

and the ABV

of your drink?

Punch in the

numbers

to find how

many units it

contains_