Alcohol increases your risk of developing cancer, heart disease and poor mental health – going dry will improve many aspects of your life. It’s often said that the British love their tea, discussing the weather and, let’s face it, enjoying a tipple (the same can be said for us Kiwis on the other side of the world). Little wonder, then, that research from The Global Drug Survey in 2019, which examined 120,000 adults worldwide, found that Britons get drunk more than any other nation in the world - at least once a week.
The charity Drinkaware reported that 49 per cent of adults aged 16 or over drank alcohol at least one day each week in 2021. It might be a favoured national pastime, but the health benefits of cutting back both in the short and long term cannot be ignored. “Once you’ve made the decision to reduce your drinking or take a break, you’ve already taken the first step to a healthier lifestyle ,” says Karen Tyrell, the charity’s chief executive.
Here’s why...
Understanding the effects of alcohol on your body Alcohol contains a type of molecule called ethanol. When you drink alcohol, ethanol molecules are absorbed into your bloodstream and travel to different parts of your body, including your brain, where chemical changes take place. For example, it suppresses the part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, that normally controls inhibition, so after a drink you may say or do things you wouldn’t normally do when sober.
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