Expert says he has some ‘bad news’ if you consume 2-3 alcoholic drinks per night

A health and wellness coach has warned people who have two or three alcoholic drinks a night that he has some 'bad news' for them.

As the end is in sight for those doing Dry January, the temptation to lurch right back into the old routine and go for a drink might be quite strong.

However, you'd best beware of the potential dangers involved with going back to the booze as the cumulative effect of drinking a bit each night can add up.

Health and wellness coach James Swanwick said that it wasn't a good idea to be drinking two or three alcoholic beverages a night.

It might not seem like much but it all adds up in the end and Swanwick cited a 2022 study from the University of Pennsylvania which involved 36,000 people.

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The study makes it clear that alcohol is really not good for your brain, with the size and structure of the brains of heavy drinkers coming to resemble the minds of those with cognitive impairments.

However, even those who aren't heavy drinkers ought to beware as their findings concluded that even those with light to moderate alcohol consumption had a reduction in the size of their brains.

Obviously the more alcohol you quaff the worse the effects are, but even one drink a night adds up to some noticeable consequences after enough time.

So even if you're drinking two or three a night and think that's decent moderation it's still going to do you some damage.

Assistant professor Remi Daviet noted that the study contained some evidence that multiple drinks in the same session was 'exponential', so an extra drink after the first one could have more of an impact than the one that came before it.

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As far as health guidelines go, the NHS recommends that you don't drink more than 14 units a week, which is the equivalent of quaffing one solitary pint per night.

Those in the know also say you should make sure if you're hitting that 14 unit limit each week that you'd best make sure it's spread out over at least three days in the span of a week.

Basically, if you're going to have seven pints in a week it's best not to try and binge it all in one or two goes.

A couple of pints here or there will do the job and keep you within safe limits, but even then if you're having a drink every day you might be at risk.

The study Swanwick cited claimed that even an alcohol intake as low as one drink per day was enough to 'cause a level of brain degeneration', so it might be best to see that 14 units a week thing as a limit rather than a target.

Topics: Health, Food And Drink

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@MrJoeHarker