The ‘safe’ consumption is recommended to reduce to half unit per day
People should drink no more than three small glasses of wine a week, scientists have said
More than 4,500 lives could be saved annually by changing official advice on ‘safe’ levels of alcohol intake.
It would mean recommended consumption – for men and women – would be cut to half a unit a day, the equivalent of just a couple of gulps of beer.
The new advice flies in the face of previous studies, which have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.
But the researchers, from Oxford University, say this benefit is far outweighed by the harm to health caused by regular drinking.
Cutting consumption could stem the epidemic of alcohol-related chronic diseases set to cause 210,000 deaths during the next 20 years. Currently, the Department of Health of the UK says ‘safe’ drinking levels are three to four units a day for men, or two to three for women.
A small glass of wine contains 1.3 units, while a pint of beer contains at least two units.
But the new study says the ideal intake to prevent chronic disease is five grams a day – around half a unit. This is less than half a small glass of wine and just a quarter of a pint of beer.
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