If you're finding Dry January tough, I have some devastating news for you - one doctor recommends that, after a certain age, you should get off the sauce permanently.
With some of us already wobbling while trying to give up booze for a month - here's some advice if you did fall off the wagon at the weekend, by the way - the idea of never drinking a cold pint again is enough to send a shiver down your spine.
Advert
Unfortunately though, as you start to age, alcohol has more of a long-term effect on your health and well-being.
According to one expert, it may be wiser to remove alcohol from your diet completely to prevent the development of dementia.
The Alzheimer's Society states that research shows that excessive alcohol consumption increases the chances that someone can develop dementia.
Drinking directly correlates to a reduced volume of your brain's white matter, which can stop your brain from functioning normally.
Dr Richard Restak has also stated that drinking regularly or binge drinking can cause damage to your health.
Advert
This does mean though, that a drink here and there will not have as much of an effect in comparison.
The medical professional's new book How to Prevent Dementia: An Expert’s Guide to Long-Term Brain Health describes alcohol as a 'direct neurotoxin'.
A neurotoxin can be defined as a substance that damages, destroys or impairs the function of the nervous system.
Because of the damage that booze can cause, Dr Restak has revealed an age where you should aim to cut it out of your life for good.
“I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet," he wrote.
Advert
"You may be at some peril, and it’s probably best to stop altogether.”
He has also called on people to re-evaluate their relationships with alcohol, regardless of your age, especially if you rely on it for mood boosts or for confidence in social situations.
Dry January seems like the perfect time to reflect on this, all while cutting down on the drink as well.
Dr Restak has further specified the type of dementia linked to drinking that bit too much, 'Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome', which can be identified as 'a severe loss of recent memory' which 'results from the direct effect of alcohol on the brain'.
Advert
Binge drinking for long periods of time in your life can also result in a lack of vitamin B1, which can cause the syndrome.
65 years old may seem far away for a lot of you, but it's never too early to give that bit more attention to our health.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images