Daily drinking and your liver

The study, published in the alcohol and drug addiction journal, Addiction reveals that daily drinkers are more likely to develop alcoholic liver disease (ALD) than those who binge drink.

While putting your feet up and having a couple of glasses of wine can seem like the perfect tonic for a hard day at work, it might be time to step back and think about what this daily wind down is doing to your long term health. 

The study of patients with liver disease at Southampton General Hospital found that 71% of them drank over the recommended units of alcohol every day.

Half of them said they drank between half a bottle or a whole bottle of wine a day, or 35 to 70 units a week. None of the patients who took part were infrequent or binge drinkers.

Worried about your liver?

Drinking in moderation and sticking to the recommended daily amount of alcohol units – 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women – as opposed to regularly drinking more, will reduce your chances of contracting alcoholic liver disease.

Don’t feel obliged to drink alcohol everyday though. It’s fine to have a mix of alcohol free days and moderate drinking days - which is not as hard as it sounds! Even if you’re out socialising with friends every night, there are plenty of ways you can all enjoy an alcohol free night out.

The one thing to remember is that if you have a heavy night is to give your body a break from alcohol for at least 48 hours.

Still concerned? Visit our Alcohol and liver pages for further advice and related facts and figures. 

Sources:

Daily drinking and your liver

Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

19 Mar 2009