What's a girl to do, if she's clued-up about health and likes to look after herself, yet is also partial to a glass of Pinot Grigio or more on a regular basis? According to the latest studies, anything more than a small glass of wine a day is detrimental to health. Yet 61 per cent of us say drinking is our favourite way of relaxing after a stressful day. So is it possible to indulge an enthusiastic wine habit, and still live a healthy life? As a health writer, I regularly quiz esteemed experts on the subject. And what I've learned from many conversations is that while there are no guarantees, there are certain damage-limitation policies that every drinker might follow:
Rule number 1: Ring-fence at least three consecutive days a week and keep them alcohol-free
There's truth in the old wives' tale about the liver regenerating itself. A number of studies suggest that creating a regular, alcohol-free window in your week is the best way to limit the long-term effects of Merlot-love. 'Some of the research that we are doing is suggesting that giving yourself a rest from alcohol for at least three days a week may be the most important thing of all,' says Dr Nick Sheron, consultant hepatologist and senior lecturer at the University of Southampton's School of Medicine. And, according to a Japanese study, heavy drinkers who have a few alcohol-free days a week have fewer health problems than those who drink every day.
Rule number 2: Always, always detox after a hangover
If you've drunk enough to feel it the next day (you know the feeling: you're tired, slightly nauseous and your IQ seems to have dropped 20 points), commit to 48 hours alcohol-free. You need to give your liver and digestive system time to recover (there's no getting away from the fact that alcohol is a toxin that your body has to remove from the body). If you've had a run of consecutive party nights, cut your liver some slack and go on the wagon for longer - a week or even two. It's a forgiving organ but overload it consistently, and your liver will start to resemble foie gras - every cell packed with fat, a by-product of the breakdown of alcohol. Cut out the booze for a week or two, and excess fat will be metabolised and your liver return to normal.
Rule number 3: Take a daily multivitamin
Regular drinking can deplete the body of several nutrients, including folic acid, B6 and magnesium, which can affect the nervous system, the condition of the skin, and the balance of hormones in the body, leaving you looking and feeling a little lacklustre. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement and, for a belt-and-braces approach, add the herbal supplement milk thistle. In small studies, the active ingredient, silymarin, has been shown to prevent inflammation in the liver and encourage liver cell renewal.
Rule number 4: Be a regular exerciser
If you like to drink, you need to prioritise exercise. The by-products of alcohol increase levels of hormones from the oestrogen family in the body, thought to be one of the reasons why a high alcohol intake has been linked with an increased risk of breast and other cancers. But exercise helps the body 'mop' up excess oestrogen. Plus, exercising helps you stay slim, and thin drinkers tend to be healthier than fat ones. 'Overweight people who drink regularly are twice as likely to get cirrhosis than thin people,' says Christopher Day, Professor of Liver Medicine at Newcastle University. 'Being overweight already puts you at risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, so if you overdo the booze, you're doubling your chances of damage.'
Rule number 5: Drink coffee
A recent study found that heavy drinkers who also drank four cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of cirrhosis to a quarter of non-coffee drinking boozers. 'We don't know why but it may be due to an anti-inflammatory quality in the coffee,' says Prof Day.