Latest news with #moderatedrinking
Daily Mail
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sip smarter this summer: Discover the 'Magic of Moderate Drinking' with these simple tips
Summer is the season for socialising, from music festivals and garden parties to laid-back picnics in the park. If you're someone who enjoys a tipple on social occasions, drinking better, not more, will make these moments more memorable than ever. Diageo, the maker of iconic brands such as Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Gordon's, are here to help you celebrate to the fullest by sharing four simple, effective tips to keep in mind. And once you've read them, be sure to head over to the DRINKiQ quiz to test your knowledge of all things drinking... Here's to a summer of music, laughter and good times - all thanks to the Magic of Moderate drinking! How to make a refreshing 0.0% pink paloma Fruity and sweet with sour notes, the 0.0% pink paloma is a cross between a paloma and gin fizz. It's supremely summery and bursting with fragrant flavour! Here's how to make one - What you'll need - 50ml Gordon's 0.0% Premium Pink, 150ml pink grapefruit soda, one grapefruit wedge, one pinch of salt for rim, one highball glass. Method 1. Rim glass with salt. 2. Add Gordon's 0.0% Premium Pink and the pink grapefruit soda to the glass filled with ice and stir to mix. 3. Garnish with pink grapefruit. 1. Measure your drinks Keeping track of your alcohol consumption is key to ensuring you stay within your limits. As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. Or in this case, the power to drink responsibly! If you're drinking spirits at a summer gathering, opting for measured single serves makes it much easier to work out how much you've had. It can be tricky to count drinks when your glass is topped up halfway through, so try to wait until you've finished your drink before accepting a refill. And when hosting, use a spirits jigger to measure out each serve so you don't accidentally add more alcohol than you meant to. 2. Space out your drinks with water It's always important to drink plenty of water, but especially when drinking. So water is key to keeping the good times going - particularly when it's hot. Alternating drinks with a cold glass with ice and lemon will help you pace yourself and ensure you're enjoying every sip without overdoing it. 3. Pair drinks with delicious food You must eat tasty food, and plenty of it! See what we mean when we say responsible drinking is about having MORE fun rather than less? Great food doesn't just elevate any celebration; it also slows alcohol absorption - helping to keep the good times balanced. If you're hosting, a well-chosen selection of nibbles is guaranteed to be a hit with your guests, while also providing a chance to show off your cooking skills. A nice touch is to choose foods that complement the taste of particular drinks - providing people with even more of an incentive to take a bite. 4. Explore alcohol-free options The number of alcohol-free drinks choices has boomed in recent years, with many bars providing a separate menu of delicious alcohol-free options. It's well worth taking a look if you want to take the night off booze without compromising on the experience. Or you could try the technique known as zebra-striping, where you switch each alcoholic drink with an alcohol-free one. This naturally reduces the amount of alcohol you have without feeling like you're missing out in social settings. Whatever your approach, the key is to savour every moment and embrace the magic of moderation. With thoughtful choices, you can make this summer memorable for all the right reasons. Drink responsibly. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise that to keep the risk from alcohol low, adults should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Is The Reason Drinking Alcohol Makes You Feel Worse As You Get Older
'Drink in moderation' is advice we hear often, but as most people can attest to after a booze-filled holiday season, it isn't easy to stick to. When we can stick to moderate drinking, however, we usually feel pretty good about ourselves. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate drinking is defined as no more than two drinks per day for men, and no more than one drink per day for women. That means if we have a glass of wine after work every day, we're not doing much harm to our bodies and brains, right? That depends. Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, a geriatrician and dementia expert, tells HuffPost that the way alcohol impacts the body will vary based on your age. If your 2024 goals include plans to drink in moderation, here's what she wants you to know. How 1-2 Alcoholic Drinks Per Day Impact The Body In Your 20s, 30s And 40s Related: Related: Your 20s, Landsverk says, are a resilient time for the body — which is probably why hangovers aren't nearly as bad during that decade. 'The liver and brain have the most resilience during that time,' she said. 'The frontal lobes (reasoning, and judgment) are not quite developed. One is more likely to be open to drinking more or taking more risks, and this can set habits that will cause problems down the line.' You probably won't notice a huge difference as you head into your 30s as long as you're drinking moderately, but it's important to keep your overall health in mind. 'Ask yourself: How is your health otherwise? Obesity, which is epidemic in America, increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver,' Landsverk said. 'Alcohol increases the risk of liver disease and scarring (cirrhosis). As a geriatrician, I would say a glass or two a week is fine. Some doctors say one drink a day is fine, but it is also neurotoxic and that can catch up with you.' In your 40s, more health risks begin to pop up, Landsverk explains. 'Obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol all increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes and small stroke dementia,' she said. If you're living with any of these conditions, even a small amount of alcohol can further increase your risk of events like heart attacks or strokes, so keep that in mind. How 1-2 Alcoholic Drinks Impact The Body In Your 50s And 60s Once you hit your 50s, Landsverk says, even moderate drinking can wreak havoc on the body. 'Alcohol, besides the vascular damage and dementia risks, increases the risk of breast cancer, esophageal cancer and liver cancer (after disease),' she said. Because cancer risk drastically increases as we age, adding any amount of alcohol into the mix will only further increase that risk. 'Plus, as we age, good sleep is more elusive,' Landsverk added. 'Substances like caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol all hinder sleep' In your 60s, you'll likely begin to feel the effects of moderate drinking on your body. 'I can speak from experience: This is the age when tolerance may decrease dramatically,' Landsverk said. 'I am healthy. I can ski or swim a mile, but a glass of wine makes me feel ill and slow the next day.' This, she says, is because older people are more likely to lose the enzyme to metabolize alcohol (alcohol dehydrogenase). 'At this point, I can tolerate about one glass a week,' Landsverk noted. 'If I had it daily, I would feel sick with just one glass a day. Older people have less reserve in the brain, liver and kidneys. The damage to the brain from even one glass a day is worse [when you're over 60].' Landsverk suggests that you think of alcoholic beverages like candy bars. 'They're nice with some meals, but they can increase your weight and blood sugar, and over decades adds to cancer risk and chronic illnesses that can lead to poor health.' If you want to stay as healthy as possible and feel your best as you age, do you have to give up alcohol completely? No, Landsverk emphasizes, and it's important to remember to remember that other factors influence the impact alcohol has on your health and well-being, such as if you're living with a disease like obesity or hypertension. If you're older and in generally good health, you shouldn't worry too much about the occasional alcoholic beverage. That's certainly the case for Landsverk. 'I have decided that a glass of wine with a nice meal is worth it,' she said. 'But not every night.' This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful:
Telegraph
17-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
I thought I was a ‘moderate' drinker until I started tracking my alcohol
I'm a social drinker. Warmer, friendlier, after a few glasses. I never drink at home but when I'm out with friends (I work alone during the day), it's a joy to split a bottle of wine at supper, then put the world to rights over another glass. I'd class myself as a 'moderate drinker'. But am I really? The NHS defines 'moderate' as 14 units of alcohol a week and urges both men and women to make this their upper limit. The problem is I tend to assume a large glass of wine is a unit, but in my heart I know this is wishful thinking. A small glass (ie a 125ml thimble of wine) is actually 1.5 units. While a large glass of wine is 3.1 units. In the back of my mind I knew this but have been turning a blind eye. Research shows most of us are prone to this glass half-full mentality when it comes to wine. We can't do the maths. So challenged by the health editor of this paper, I download an app and keep track for a week. Logging my daily units The MyDrinkaware app is a free online calendar that aims to help people understand what impact their drinking might be having on their health. When I fill out the initial questionnaire I feel slightly smug. No, I haven't blacked out, injured myself or another person, forgotten the events of the night before. Three times a week I might have four drinks – but that's moderate, isn't it? Big mistake. The app tells me bluntly that I'm at 'increasing risk' of being dependent on alcohol. 'Your drinking is dangerous to your health, increasing your risk of serious health problems, including seven types of cancer, liver and heart disease and high blood pressure. Unless you cut down, you are at risk of damaging your health.' Gulp. When I consult professor David Nutt, director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London (and co-creator of non-alcoholic drink Sentia), he warns that if we discovered ethanol (alcohol) today, and it was put through the food safety testing requirements, the maximum recommended limit would be a single glass of wine per year. 'Even drinking below the 14 unit per week threshold does increase the risk of breast cancer,' he says. 'If you have a family history of this or have the genes that predispose, then the risk is greater, so you might decide not to drink at all. However, whatever risk category you are in, the less you drink the lower your risk.' I'm shaken. The new moderate me rarely goes over 14 units, surely? So each day for a week I log my drinking on the app. It's a slightly unusual week – including a 60th birthday, the 40th anniversary of a friend's beauty brand at Claridge's, the party for The National Gallery's reopening of The Sainsbury Wing, and a book prize. So there will be a bit more celebrating than usual. But I'm hopeful I can hold the line. Then – bad news – a dear friend reveals she's having a trial marriage separation, and inevitably our cinema evenings involve a bottle or two. ' I'm made of wine at the moment,' she says bravely. Oh dear, my audit isn't looking good. Doing the drink maths Saturday Girls lunch – four small glasses of white (six units) Supper – four small glasses of red (six units) The first shock is how many empty calories I'm putting away. On Saturday, I have a girls' lunch (four small glasses of white wine), then supper and a film with my friend (four small glasses red). Those eight drinks constitute a whopping 728 calories. And, the app tells me, I've used up 13 units. So I've nearly bust my total already. I try not do lunch and supper on the same day (it's too easy to forget the lunchtime units), but this is scary. Monday Picnic – two large glasses of white (6.5 units) On Monday I have a money-saving picnic by the river (my friend decants two large glasses of white wine from her flask) before Sondheim at the theatre. I'm feeling quite proud of myself but the app meanly informs me that's 6.5 units (364 calories). Tuesday Cocktail with a friend at The Groucho Club (two units) The Book Awards – champagne (9.13 units) I meet a friend for a martini before The Book Awards on Tuesday. She's an actress, so the wine waiters are particularly attentive at the awards (did I mention my house rule is never to turn down champagne?). But it's an own goal. The app informs me I've consumed 10.5 units (588 calories). Wednesday Champagne at Claridge's, plus a nightcap (9.13 units) On Wednesday at Claridge's, there's free-flowing champagne again. By my conservative estimate, I had five glasses, then a nightcap at my friend's house – and the app registers 9.13 units (511 calories). Oh God, it was probably more than that. The next day I feel hungover. I've been very proud of myself for giving up free sugar (for this paper). I've stuck to it for three months and lost several inches. But heavens I'm tempted to have biscuits. Only pride helps me not to succumb. Booze does lead to poor food impulse control. Thursday National Gallery party – champagne – again! (9.75 units) 60th birthday – double G&T, plus a small glass of wine (5.25 units) Normally I'd go into purdah for a few days to atone. But unfortunately it's The Sainsbury Wing party the next night. I am deeply grateful to their champagne sponsor (these days parties in the arts are pretty dry), but I rack up 9.75 units (546 calories). I'm actually the plus one this evening – there to support my friend, carry her bag. All fine, but I'm beginning to realise that being the bridesmaid (not the bride) makes you drink more. No one is terribly interested in you, so you hit the drinks tray more often. At the 60th birthday supper I manage to stick to a double G&T and small glass of wine, but that's still 5.25 units (294 calories), way over my daily allowance. The units have racked up dangerously Nervously, I consult the MyDrinkaware dashboard. 'In the last seven days you have had 36 drinks – that's 62.26 units,' it informs me. I'm horrified. I knew it was going to be a bit over the 'safe' 14 units. But the health implications are clear. Apart from the cancer risk, ONS figures show alcohol-related deaths from liver disease are rising substantially (the highest is women in their 50s). 'When you drink a unit of alcohol, your liver has to pause the 500 vital functions in the body, encompassing tasks like filtering the blood, producing bile, and metabolising nutrients, just to get alcohol out of the system as quickly as possible,' Dr Curran of London's Reborne Clinic tells me. 'These functions are crucial for digestion, detoxification, and overall health.' He doesn't drink himself. 'I don't want to come across as judgy, but 14 units may still be too much in women who are struggling with hormone imbalance, excessively high oestrogen in particular. Alcohol can exacerbate a propensity for oestrogen access, which in turn can fuel uncontrolled proliferation in oestrogen-sensitive tissues or tumours such as breast, ovarian and endometrial (lining of womb). Alcohol metabolism also depletes nutrients required for the effective processing and elimination of oestrogen from the body.' I naively believed I was cutting back on booze. And yes, last week was a perfect storm (like Christmas in May). Life chez Hoggard is normally far less exciting. But the truth is even a 'modest' night is over my daily allowance. 'If it's a strong wine, 250ml can be three units,' warns Richard Piper of Alcohol Change UK (who also have a Try Dry app). He agrees the 14 unit recordation is fairly arbitrary. 'There's 200 medical conditions caused by alcohol. For every single medical condition, there is a different risk chart. So how do you alight on a single number above which things are higher risk?' He'd prefer us to adopt the Canadian system where we talk about zero risk (not drinking), very low risk, low risk, moderate risk and high risk. Very low risk would be two to three units a week. He doesn't think consumers should take all the blame, however. It's an addictive substance. 'Let's keep the pressure on government and on the industry,' says Dr Curran. 'It's one of the wealthiest profit-making industries on the globe. Most of the drinks we consume are actually produced by multi-global companies not based in the UK. So it's UK consumers paying the price for other countries' profits. 'Alcohol is more addictive than cocaine, more harmful than tobacco, but we're not told that story, and it's so normalised in our society that we reject that message. But the science behind the cancer risk has really developed over the last 20 years. The challenge for us as an organisation is how to tell that story, without being alarmist, and how to support people to just put alcohol back where it needs to be, as a dangerous product that's also pleasurable. In a democratic society, we're not for banning stuff. Our position is it's up to you to choose.' I'm determined to cut back and have started ordering alcohol-free beers when out with friends (they're so good now I can barely tell the difference). On a seaside jaunt, I don't drink and the drive-back at 5am is surprisingly bearable with a clear head. I won't deny it's been a shaming wake-up call. Just typing the figures into an app makes it harder to ignore the truth. 'Cut one unit, two units out a week, and your chances of living a longer, healthier life increase,' says Richard Piper. Top tips Check the alcohol volume Not all wines are equal. You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles, sometimes written as 'vol' or 'alcohol volume', or ask bar staff about particular drinks. For example, wine that says '12% ABV' or 'alcohol volume 12%', means 12 per cent of the volume of that drink is pure alcohol. A large glass of ABV 12 per cent such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, is three units. Build in more alcohol-free days It's recommended to have two to three alcohol-free days each week, ideally consecutively. Abstaining from alcohol for two to three weeks can significantly reduce liver inflammation and improve overall health, especially for those with fatty liver. 'Even in your 50s and 60s you can have a huge impact by reducing the amount of alcohol you drink,' says Debbie Shawcross, professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at King's College London. Don't drink on an empty stomach 'The worst thing you can do is drink without food,' says Prof Shawcross. 'You very quickly get drunk and the liver becomes overloaded because it can only break down alcohol at roughly one unit of alcohol an hour. But if you have a meal that keeps alcohol in the stomach for longer, it slows absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.' Measure your drinks Home spirit measures are notoriously difficult to judge, so use a measure (25cl of standard 40 % spirits is one unit). Most people think they are having a double, but it is more like a triple, says Salim Khakoo, professor of hepatology at the University of Southampton. Know your triggers Is it being in a bar? At home watching TV? When you socialise with certain friends? Identify any potential weak spots and find an alternative. Have something fun planned for the morning after a night out If you know you have something to look forward to the next morning, then you're more likely to want to avoid a hungover, and drink less as a result. Downsize your glass sizes (especially when at home) Studies show it helps you drink less, says DrinkAware. Put ice in wine This will dilute the strength, but still gives the taste. Or add a mixer, like soda, to make it a spritzer. Follow the 20-minute rule Take a 20-minute break after you've finished one drink before buying or pouring your next. Your craving will often go away or soften. Go dry at events associated with alcohol Identify one thing you would normally do with alcohol – picnic, festival, restaurant – and do it without alcohol, advises Richard Piper. 'What people find is it's just as fun, sometimes more so, particularly with gigs, where you find yourself queuing to get the beer, and then queuing for the toilet. Say to yourself: 'I did pay quite a lot of money. I want to be fully present'.'
