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feeling great
Bottom’s up
Enjoy a drink or two this Christmas without worrying that you’ve drunk too
much – simply tot up your units with our handy cut-out-and-keep guide
A
quick sherry to celebrate
the season of good
cheer, a glass of bubbly
to ring in the New Year or
an after-dinner Irish cream,
whatever your drink of choice
we all indulge more at this time
of year than any other. While
a few drinks every now and
then are unlikely to do you any
lasting damage, we all know
that drinking too much too
often could increase your risk
of health problems such as high
blood pressure, heart disease,
diabetes and liver problems. So
how much is too much?
The UK’s chief medical officer
recently changed the low risk
drinking guidelines based
on the latest research into
how alcohol affects our
long-term health. It’s now
recommended that both
men and women drink
no more than 14 units a
week – but what exactly
does 14 units look like and
how many units are in your
favourite drink?
Here’s how some of our favourites measure up…
A small
(125ml) glass
of wine
(13% alcohol)
A medium
(175ml) glass
of wine
(13% alcohol)
What does
14 units
a week look
like?
A large
(250ml) glass
of wine
(13% alcohol)
6 pints of 4% beer
6 medium glasses
of 13% wine
A glass
(125ml) of
sparkling wine
(12% alcohol)
1.6 units 2.3 units 3.2 units 1.5 units
A glass (50ml)
of sherry
(17% alcohol
Top tip
It’s easy to drink more
than you mean to when
pouring drinks at home.
Decanting it into a
measuring jug first will
help you stay on top
of your units
A pint (568ml)
of beer
(4% alcohol)
A small bottle
(330ml) of beer
(5% alcohol)
A pint (568ml)
of cider
(4.5% alcohol)
0.9 units 2.3 units 1.6 units 2.6 units
A measure (25ml) of
rum, gin or vodka
(40% alcohol)
A glass (50ml)
of whiskey
(40% alcohol)
1 unit 2 units
Irish cream
liqueur (50ml)
(17% alcohol)
0.8 units
14x25ml
measures of
a 40% spirit
Have a day off
If you need to cut down on your
drinking, try to have several
alcohol-free days a week
50
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
pic: shutterstock