Drinking in less quantity? Know why low risk drinking can be harmful

Alcohol is a significant source of calories in your diet. It is harmful even in small quantities if you have medical conditions.

Be it a social gathering, party or a business meeting. Many of us tend to consume alcohol in small quantity. But wait! Do you know that even that small amount of liquor can make your body clock go kaput. Read on to know about the liver ailments caused due to alcohol consumption and about the tips for healthy liver.

World Health Organization (WHO) defines low risk drinking for men and women as 10 drinks or less in a week (2 drinks on average/day, but two alcohol free days in a week). "Even low risk drinking can be harmful if you have medical problems such as heart rhythm/rate problems, persistent pain, liver problems or psychiatric/mood disorders or you are on any drugs for long term for medical conditions, since some of the drugs interact with alcohol. It is dangerous to drive or operate machinery under the influence of alcohol," says says Dr Pravin Agrawal , Senior Consultant and HBP , Gastro Surgeon at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre.

Read: What are side effects of alcohol?

Liver ailments caused by alcohol:

1. Fatty liver
2. Alcoholic hepatitis
3. Cirrhosis

Dr Agrawal tells you about how to improve your liver function:

1. Maintain a healthy weight.
2. Consume a balanced diet.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Avoid toxins like alcohol, smoking and illicit drugs.
5. Avoid contaminated needles.
6. Get medical care if you are exposed to blood.
7. Practice safe sex. Unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners increases your risk of hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Read: Even moderate consumption of alcohol can risk your mental health

Dr Agrawal highlights the importance of vaccination. "There are vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Unfortunately, there s no vaccine against the hepatitis C virus. If someone is positive for Hepatitis B or C, they should be taking regular antiviral drugs under medical supervision and should be doing blood tests and Ultrasound of the liver regularly," explained Dr Agrawal.

So, think twice before picking up that glass of liquor!

Image source: Shutterstock