Tips

Key messages

• Some people may choose to cut down how much they are drinking
• Some people with serious liver problems will be suggested to stop drinking altogether
• For everyone, it is best to aim to keep the amount of alcohol you drink within safe levels for your long-term health
• It is always recommended to follow the advice of your doctor

Take a break

The liver has the incredible ability to heal itself when given the chance. Taking a break from drinking alcohol can lessen the liver’s workload so that it can focus on rebuilding and repairing damaged cells.

How long you take a break for is up to you. Some people have a ‘dry’ month, or they join their pregnant partners for a pause of several months. Some people decide to take a year off drinking alcohol.

Whatever the length of time, your liver is likely to benefit. Stopping for a while can help to challenge some of the habits and social routines we develop from drinking alcohol long-term alcohol.

It might feel a bit uncomfortable, but it’s outside our comfort zone where we learn the most about ourselves.

Have a few alcohol-free days

Even a day without alcohol can give your liver a break. Planning a few nights a week to be alcohol free can be a great habit for long-term liver health.

If having a beer or a wine at a particular time of day has become a habit, there are lots of non-alcoholic alternatives that have become available in the last 5 years. While these drinks may still contain sugar and energy, the absence of the alcohol is what helps the liver to have a break.

• infused mineral water
• non-alcoholic wine
• alcohol-free gin
• zero alcohol beers

Set a limit

Often, if you have good intentions not to drink or not to drink too much, you can still be swayed by the social situation, the environment, or the circumstances. This is particularly true if you’re vague about how much you are planning to drink.

If you say ‘I won’t have too much’ or ‘I’ll drink less this week’, it’s hard to know exactly what that means. Then when someone offers you another drink or tops up your glass, it’s very hard to say no.

Clearly setting you alcohol limit can make it a lot easier to stick to in the moment.

• No more than ‘x’ number of drinks in a night
• No more than ‘x’ number of drinks in a week

Eat and drink together

If you are eating food and drinking water while you’re drinking alcohol, this can help to slow the amount of alcohol that’s absorbed into the bloodstream. This can help your liver to deal with the workload. You could try:

• having some wholegrain crackers and cheese with your beer
• saving your wine to have with dinner
• alternating between an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic drink
• serving cocktails with nibbles
• ordering snacks when you have a drink at the bar