Drinking less but daily increases health hazards
Reported January 19, 2009
New Delhi: Doctors increasingly find that couple of weeks without alcohol is one of the best things you can do for your health and for your liver in particular.
It is not just about all twenty-somethings, who are partying hard on weekends. This advice goes double for the moderate drinkers, who knock back a drink or two every day.
Studies show that two units of alcohol a day is good for your heart – but these studies are only meant for men above 40 and women who have reached menopause.
Yet, more than 42 per cent of Urban Indian men and 25 per cent of women drink well above this defined limit. And if you’re in that age group – what is integral is that you must take a break from booze
In fact, recent medical findings suggest that it’s people drinking daily, rather than weekly binge-drinkers, who are at higher risk of developing scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis.
Like drugs, the more alcohol you drink, the more tolerance you develop, which leads to drinking more for the same effect.
If taking a break is difficult, you might be slipping into dependence which is the first step on the road to addiction. To deal with that, you need to get professional help.