This page includes information on alcohol including what units are and how to calculate how many units you drink, how many calories common drinks contain, common health problems associated with alcohol and tips on cutting down on how much you drink
Units
Alcohol is measured in units (one unit is equal to 10ml of pure alcohol) and the advice is that men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units per day and women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units per day. It is also recommended to have at least 2 days per week completely alcohol free. Binge drinking is defined for men as drinking more than 8 units and for women more than 6 units in a day
How many units are in an alcoholic drink?
The number of units in a drink depends on the type of alcohol and how strong it is. The percentage strength can be found on the bottle/can etc.
Beer/lager/cider:
Pint of lower strength (3.6%) = 2 units
Pint of higher strength (5.2%) = 3 units
Can (4.5%) = 2 units
Bottle (5%) = 1.7 units
Wine:
Based on a 12% wine:
Small glass (125ml) = 1.5 units
Medium glass (175ml) = 2.1 units
Large glass (250ml) = 3 units
A 750ml bottle of 13.5% wine contains 10 units
Spirits:
A single shot (25ml) of a spirit = 1 unit
Alcopop:
A 275ml bottle of alcopop (5.5%) = 1.5 units
Health problems associated with alcohol:
Alcohol and weight problems:
Many people don't think of the calories they are consuming when drinking alcohol and are surprised to know the calorie content of the alcohol that they drink. The recommended total daily calorie intake for men is 2,500kcal and for women is 2,000kcal
The average number of calories in popular alcoholic drinks are listed below:
Pint of lager: 165 kcal
Pint of stronger lager or ale: 335 kcal
Small glass (125ml) of wine: 95 kcal
Large glass (250ml) of wine: 190 kcal
Bottle of alcopop: 225 kcal
Single shot of whiskey with no mixer: 64 kcal
As well as the alcohol itself, many people drink with sugary soft drinks and chose to eat more unhealthy foods when they have been drinking than they would have otherwise. Therefore cutting down on alcohol can also help you to lose weight
Alcohol is the third greatest risk to health behind smoking and obesity. Regularly drinking over the guidelines can increase your risk of a number of different health conditions. You don't need to be an alcoholic to suffer from harmful effects of alcohol. It often takes many years for the long-term harmful effects to develop. They include:
High blood pressure
Liver disease including cirrhosis and liver cancer
Reduced fertility
Pancreatitis
Certain types of cancers including the mouth, throat, neck and breast
Tips on cutting down:
Dry January
Dry January is a campaign that takes place each year where anyone can participate and pledge to drink no alcohol during the month of January
The benefits of staying away from alcohol could include:
You can find out more information about Dry January here:
For more information on alcohol you can visit the following websites, or talk to your pharmacist or GP
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Effectsofalcohol.aspx
https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/
To find out about helplines and local alcohol support groups you can visit:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Alcoholsupport.aspx