When It Comes To Alcohol, Both Sexes Should Be Equally Cautious

When it comes to recommended drinking-in-moderation practices, women have always been advised to drink less. The HSE website says in its section on low risk weekly guidelines women shouldn’t drink more than 18 units of alcohol throughout a week. In comparison, men shouldn’t go above 26.

However, the UK authorities have revised their drinking guidelines and are saying that both men and women shouldn’t drink more than 14 units of alcohol in a week. Men in the UK were previously advised that their weekly alcohol limit was 21 units. At 14 units a week, the UK standard is the lowest for men in countries that issue such standards. There’s some equality for you.

This is the first time in 20 years the UK’s Chief Medical Officer has issued new guidelines, alongside a warning that there is no level of ‘safe? drinking and that any amount of alcohol consumption can increase the chances of developing certain cancers such as throat, gullet and mouth cancer, and breast cancer in women.

Apparently the old wives advice of a small amount of alcohol on daily basis – think the glass of red while skimming Netflix – holds very few actual medical benefits. In fact, the idea that alcohol may help heart health only applies to women 55 years or older, and at that those women should stick to way below the recommended weekly guidelines of five units.

Via The Guardian