What you don’t want to hear about alcohol..

Often we only think of the issue with alcohol as being about the calories it contains and weight gain. However we know that alcohol has far greater reaching effects on the body than this. One of the key effects being its effect on gut health. It can damage bacteria in the gut as well as the lining of the intestinal wall which we know will have systemic effects on the rest of the body.

Effects of alcohol we don’t always think about include:

• Damage to the gut microbiome

• Worsening intestinal permeability (often known as leaky gut)

• Disrupts circadian rhythm (poor sleep!)

• Increases cholesterol

Australia’s alcohol guidelines currently recommend no more than 10 standard drinks per week for women but without the need for an alcohol free day which I would definitely be advocating for my clients. Canada is a leader in this space with a recent revamp this year to their drinking guidelines, by using a risk continuum.

Their new Canadian guidelines are as below and are, I believe, a much more accurate way of presenting the facts around alcohol consumption:

• 0 drinks per week — Not drinking has benefits, such as better health, and better sleep.

• 2 standard drinks or less per week — You are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others at this level.

• 3–6 standard drinks per week — Your risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases at this level.

• 7 standard drinks or more per week — Your risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly at this level.

• Each additional standard drink radically increases the risk of alcohol-related consequences.

Read more on these new guidelines here

Professor Emmanuel Kuntsche, director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at La Trobe University told SBS about the new Canadian Guidelines that "It's not only that they lowered the amount of drinking, but also acknowledge that any alcohol consumption is harmful. Both recommendations are really important from a public health perspective."

So if you think alcohol intake may be a challenge for you it is definitely worth getting some support or actively trying to reduce your consumption across the week.

Professional support can be found here.

Read more here on the change in Canadian guidelines and why: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/two-drinks-a-week-significant-shift-in-alcohol-guidelines-raises-questions-for-australia/zsg4b1ivz