Why does alcohol have such an effect on us? The question is as scientific as it is philosophical, and it’s as old as human drinking. Every now and then some researchers try to solve this problem, narrowing down the answer more and more. One of the most comprehensive studies to date, by the European Association for the Study of the Liver and The Lancet, raises an interesting hypothesis.
EASL-Lancet Commission. First, the report confirms changing trends in kidney disease. The reason is that while diseases such as viral hepatitis have made progress, spending habits have caused setbacks in other areas. Excessive alcohol consumption and obesity are among the risk factors for its impact.
Paradigm shift.
Experts have called attention to the need to predict the disease. According to the report, liver health today is reactive, meaning the disease is already being treated at an advanced stage. Faced with this situation, they called for greater emphasis on early diagnosis and prevention.
Take three days off each week and practice moderation.
This is where the advice about drinking alcohol comes in. It should always be remembered that there is a consensus on the recommended daily alcohol intake: zero. There is indeed a certain margin, but according to experts’ recollection, the margin is not very large.
In a statement collected by El Pais, EASL Deputy Secretary-General Aleksander Krag advised “obeying the “rule” of not drinking alcohol for at least three consecutive days, drinking no more than five units at a time (this is the equivalent of half a bottle) for ten days a week. unit.
The usual recommendation.
The idea of parking alcoholic beverages a few days a week is far from happening. Yes, UK authorities have been proposing something similar for years, but somewhat loosely. According to the British Liver Trust, it is recommended not to drink alcohol two to three consecutive days a week and to limit alcohol consumption to 14 units.
Of course, when estimating the units of alcohol in our drinks, they’re a little understated. For example, according to the foundation, a 75-cl bottle of wine will contain 10.1 units of alcohol, while according to other calculations, a liter of wine will contain 10 units.
Alcohol unit.
This leads us to ask ourselves, what is a unit of alcohol? Standard Beverage Units (SBU) are measured in grams of alcohol in a beverage. Therefore, it varies according to the strength and volume of the drink.
Therefore, it is not surprising that there are some differences in the UBE represented by each beverage. For example, with bottled wine it may vary according to the grade of the liquid, if we are already talking about the glass it will vary according to the volume served. Yes, this measure doesn’t take into account the rate at which we drink alcohol, which may also have something to do with its toxicity.
Focus on prevention.
In addition to individual strategies to reduce the damage caused by alcohol, hepatologists insist that policies to improve liver health are needed in Europe. Remember that obesity is a risk factor associated with alcohol consumption.
Another issue that requires attention has to do with the stigma associated with these disorders. “Changes must also include reviewing how we talk about liver disease and how we talk about patients with liver disease. The nomenclature of liver disease is full of stigmatized terms”, explains Patrizia Burra.
A paper in the Society’s report by Graham Cooke and Shevanthi Nayagam added, “Guilt may still be implicit in decisions about liver disease treatment.” or a sense of worth.”
Conducive to price regulation.
For these preventive policies, experts pointed out some policies that may have an impact on us, such as strengthening price regulation. An example is the imposition of a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The idea is that the higher the price, the greater the incentive to spend moderately.
Severity of liver disease in Europe.
Liver disease is gaining prominence in Europe, becoming the second leading cause of shortened working life in Europe after heart disease, according to EASL. For example, unlike cancer, liver disease appears very early in a patient’s life (around age 50).
European countries have the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world. The substance is also linked to 40% of premature liver-related deaths in Europe (287,000), although experts calculate this to be a conservative estimate.
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