Five reasons why you might need to curb drinking for a bit
One of the most common topics of conversation in the UK this month is alcohol. Whether it be that you're avoiding it for Dry January or reminiscing about how much you drank over the festive period, booze always seems to come up in conversation at this time of year.
Latest research from Alcohol Change UK has found that over half (54%) of Brits have tried to cut down their drinking in some way in the past. The most popular ways of managing your drink have also been revealed as alcohol-free days and opting for alcohol-free alternatives.
Attempting to drink less if you are drinking, taking longer breaks of weeks or months between drinking sessions, and having alcohol-free nights out were also flagged as popular methods to curb alcohol consumption.
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It also seems that Gen Z and millennials feel more concerned about how alcohol can be affecting their health compared to older generations. A recent example of this is former Love Island contestant Molly-Mae Hague admitting that her relationship failed with ex-fiancé Tommy Fury, due to his relationship with alcohol.
If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption, and need some motivation to take it back a notch, a doctor has revealed how alcohol can be harming your health.
Five signs alcohol is harming your health
Changes of the skin
Dr Sanjay Mehta, GP at The London General Practice, has warned that changes to the appearance of your skin is a warning sign that booze is having a negative impact on your health.
He explained: "One of the many roles of the liver is to help generate the cells that allow the blood to clot, an important survival mechanism. However, when the liver becomes damaged, it can lead to excessive bruising, due to the impact of alcohol on clotting factors in the blood."
Flushing of the skin occurs when alcohol causes blood vessels to enlarge temporarily. However, this can become permanent over time.
Weight gain
Excessive booze consumption will often lead to weight gain, however it is not just because of the high calorie intake that you may get from cocktails and spirits that are drunk with a calorific sugary mixer. Alcohol can also affect your body's metabolism.
Mehta says that this includes "slowing down the process of breaking down body fat, as the body, particularly the liver, focuses on breaking down the alcohol instead."
Many of us also tend to reach for greasy food at the end of a night out, but this decision is highly influenced by the booze. He added: "The production of ‘galanin’ that results from drinking alcohol may also increase the desire for fatty foods, which can compound these effects to lead to a gain in weight.”
Numbness or tingling
According to Healthline, if you are consistently drinking, then over time the effects of consuming too much alcohol may cause alcoholic neuropathy, or otherwise known as 'alcohol-related neuropathy'. This condition is when there is damage to the nerves in your extremities - hands, feet and arms.
Metha warns that excessive drinking can lead to certain nerves that transmit signals between the body and the brain to become damaged, and can result in your hands and feet feeling numb or tingly, leaving you feeling unsteady.
Heartburn
Heartburn - which is an uncomfortable, burning sensation that can spread from the stomach to the chest or throat - is another sign that too much booze is harming your health.
Metha explains: "Alcohol can trigger heartburn or worsen symptoms in individuals who are already affected by the condition, partly as alcohol stimulates increased production of stomach acid, which subsequently can damage the stomach’s inner lining.
"The rising of muscle that separates the stomach and the oesophagus also relaxes when we drink alcohol, allowing this stomach acid to flow upwards from the stomach into the oesophagus, where the lining is not as well designed to withstand this acidity."
Malnutrition
On the flip side of gaining weight, drinking too much booze can also lead to malnutrition. This is because alcohol can interfere with the hormones that regulate our appetite, thus leading to the stomach and brain incorrectly perceiving when you are actually feeling full.
"Consequently, individuals may eat less, reducing their calorie consumption and leading to inadequate nutrient intake," says Mehta. Excess alcohol use over many years can also cause liver damage, which may also present with weight loss."
If you are thinking about trying to curb your drinking you can go to your GP for advice. Alcohol Change UK also has free tools and resources that could help you begin your journey.
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