When it comes to trying to understand official guidelines on alcohol consumption, it can be hard to find a consistent message. Different governments issue very different guidelines on what they consider to be a safe amount of alcohol to drink.
UK guidelines are among the strictest in Europe and say there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink. Countries like France (where alcohol consumption is almost as high as the UK) and the drink-conscious USA have guidelines which are less strict, while wine-loving Chile considers six glasses of wine, or 49 units of alcohol, to be low-risk.
There is no disagreement (except maybe in Chile!) that excessive alcohol consumption is bad for you. However, there is a huge amount of debate around whether it can be good for you or not. On the one hand, a new report by the former surgeon general of the US Public Health Service warned that even light or moderate alcohol consumption (that’s one drink a week or less) can increase a person’s risk of cancer.
On the other hand, Professor Tim Spector, the world-famous epidemiologist and co-founder of Zoe, points out that “all the latest observational studies consistently point towards moderate drinking being beneficial for most people’s heart compared to those who either don’t drink or drink too much”. He also says some alcoholic drinks, especially red wine, can positively impact the gut microbiome.
But while the detrimental effects of regularly drinking alcohol in excess are well-known (and include increased risk of several different kinds of cancer as well as heart disease and liver failure), some effects are less well-publicised.
And there is one odd side-effect of drinking alcohol that you might have noticed (I know I have!) Have you ever relaxed with a glass of wine or beer on a Friday night only to find that you are suddenly feeling stuffy and congested in your nose, as if you have a cold? If so, you might have an alcohol allergy or even alcohol intolerance. This can cause uncomfortable reactions when you drink alcohol, sometimes immediately.
One sign is a stuffy nose (which I get), another is skin-flushing (which I don’t). It can be mild and something that doesn’t really bother people, or severe in some cases. It can also be sparked by certain ingredients in the drinks themselves, like sulphites or other preservatives in wine, chemicals, grains or other ingredients in beer or histamine, a by-product of fermentation or brewing. Drinking alcohol can trigger migraines in some people, possibly as a result of histamines contained in some alcoholic beverages. There can also be more serious reactions.
American healthcare provider Cedars Sinai says: “It’s important to understand the differences between alcohol allergies and alcohol intolerance. While alcohol intolerance is a digestive system disorder, an alcohol allergy is an immune system response to the ingredients in the beverages, such as chemicals, grains or preservatives.
“Allergic reactions to alcohol can cause symptoms similar to alcohol intolerance, such as difficulty breathing, coughing, runny nose or stomach upset. These symptoms could be triggered by as little as one sip and are a result of your body creating antibodies against these allergens.
“If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after consuming alcohol and you are unsure if you have alcohol allergies or alcohol intolerance, raise your concerns with your doctor at your next check-up.”
Unfortunately, there is no cure or way to avoid these reactions, other than not drinking alcohol.