Drinking alcohol is a big part of celebrating the festive season for many people. But there’s a limit to how much we should be drinking on a weekly basis, no matter the time of year. It’s recommended men and women drink more than 14 units a week, and that drinking should be spread over three or more days if drinking this much is a regular thing. There’s a reason for this - drinking to much alcohol on a regular basis can lead to cancer, as well as other serious and life-threatening health conditions. 

The NHS explains: “If you drink less than 14 units a week, this is considered low-risk drinking. 

“It’s called ‘low risk’ rather than ‘safe’ because there is no safe drinking level.”

The health body goes on to state that regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week can lead to the following conditions: 

• Cancers of the mouth, throat and breast 
• Stroke 
• Heart disease 
• Liver disease 
• Brain damage 
• Damage to the nervous system 

Regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week can lead to cancers of the mouth, throat and breast

If you do find yourself drinking this festive season, Dr Chris Steele has some some tips for avoiding a hangover. 

Appearing on This Morning, he advised: “Darker drinks will give you a worse hangover.” 

He advised: “Darker drinks will give you a worse hangover.”

Darker drinks include dark liquors like brandy and bourbon, dark beer and red wine. 

The reason for this is because darker drinks contain congeners, and the problem with these is they break down into a more toxic chemical - formaldehyde.

Other tips Dr Chris outlined included:

• Drink water in-between drinks
• Drink in moderation and pace yourself
• Drinking half a pint of water before getting into bed, along with a couple of paracetamol
• Sleep for as long as you can the following morning
• Opt for sweet cereal with milk and a banana
• Say no to the hair of the dog

Milk thistle supplements are believed to help treat liver problems and hangovers

But Dr Chris said: “An alcohol research group has looked at all these cures, and there is no evidence that herbal supplements will work.”

With the festive season in full swing, many people may find their alcohol consumption has increased.

Source: Express.co.uk