London – UK health experts have updated their recommendations for alcohol consumption with guidelines on Alcohol Consumption.
The guidelines released on Friday recommend low amounts to alcohol consumptions to both men and women warning that drinking alcohol regularly increases the risk of cancer among other dangers.
After 20 years the recommendations have been updated. Previously, the guidelines advised 21 units for men and 14 units for women. Now, after reviewing the scientific evidence of the last 20 years, the new advice is that both men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol each week.
The UK’s chief medical officers stressed the fact that even lower amounts still carries a low risk of liver disease or cancer, and other dangers like violence, drowning, and injuries from falls and motor vehicle crashes.
“Drinking any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk for anyone, but if men and women limit their intake to no more than 14 units a week it keeps the risk of illness like cancer and liver disease low,” Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, said.
The guidelines also mention the frequency recommended. They advise people not to save up the 14 units for one or two days. It should be over three or more days. People who binge drink on one or two days of the week increase their risk of death from long term illnesses and accidents and injuries. The chief medical officers are also recommending that people should have several alcohol-free days each week as a way of cutting consumption.
Previously, the guidelines suggested that pregnant women should limit themselves to no more than 1 or 2 units once or twice per week. However in this edition, this clause have been removed as a precaution. Instead, England, Wales and Northern Ireland say that no level of alcohol is safe to drink in pregnancy.
As for the benefits of moderate drinking brings, British officials say that there is no justification for drinking for health reasons. The concluded that it only applies to women older than 55, in whom the greatest benefit is seen when women drink no more than about two glasses of wine a week.
British citizens are not happy about the new recommendations claiming that drinking is part of their culture. People said that the guidelines won’t change his drinking habits. U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said that everybody knew there is a big problem with excessive alcohol consumption, but if they decided to enjoy a few drinks four or five nights a week after a hard day at work, whether it slightly shortens our lives or not, so what?
Source: NHS UK