Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

(Jacob Rumans) #1

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_
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