Reducing how much alcohol you drink

Many people like to unwind with a drink, but it is also worth being aware of how much regular drinking can negatively affect your health.

Excessive drinking can damage your liver and increase your risk of cancer – alcohol causes around 12,500 cases of cancer each year. There are also lots of hidden calories in alcohol so it can also cause you to put on extra weight. 

If you try cutting back on alcohol you should notice that it helps your general wellbeing and makes you:

• feel better in the mornings
• have more energy
• feel less tired
• lose weight
• improve your skin
• have a stronger immune system.

It can be confusing to know how much drinking is too much. NHS guidelines recommend that men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week: