It’s party time and when in festive spirit and good company, who doesn’t enjoy a tipple or two? The good news is, you can raise a glass, enjoy yourself and escape at least some of the consequences – as long as you make smart choices.
Whether it’s the season of good cheer or not, there’s plenty of robust evidence to support frequent and excessive alcohol consumption accelerates the ageing process, has numerous detrimental effects on the mind and body and is linked to increased risk of more than 200 health conditions, including cancer and heart disease. That said, in moderate doses and in a social setting, many argue that alcohol helps reduce social anxiety, promotes positive emotions and enhances connectivity.
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For those planning to enjoy a glass of festive cheer this season, there are practical steps you can take to drink responsibly. The first step is to understand how your body handles alcohol and how susceptible you are to its effects.
Prepare your system for alcohol
Alcohol is one of the few consumables that is absorbed into the bloodstream almost immediately; that’s why eating before you take your first sip can help slow its effects. Ideal stomach liners include milk or yogurt, a bowl of cereal or some cheese and crackers.
Once in the bloodstream your liver will start the breakdown process of turning ethanol to a toxic compound, called acetaldehyde. At the same time, you’ll start to feel the effects on your central nervous system: at first you may feel less inhibited, more relaxed and confident. After the second, third or fourth glass, and as your blood-alcohol levels rise faster than your liver can process it, you’ll experience more pronounced effects, including poor co-ordination, impaired judgement and slurred speech.
You won’t feel the symptoms of hangover until almost all the alcohol is cleared from your system, probably six to eight hours later; that’s where the misguided suggestion of the ‘the hair of the dog’ comes in.
Typical hangover symptoms include dehydration, headache, low blood sugar and an irritated stomach. You can expect to feel rough for at least 24 hours, although it may take longer to get back to your old self again.
Sadly, some of us are more prone to these effects and especially so if you’re slight of size and build, female and of reproductive age, you’re on prescribed medication or if you’re in mid-life or beyond, when the liver’s ability to metabolise alcohol is less effective. If you are in any of these categories, you’re likely to experience a higher alcohol concentration in the bloodstream and as a result an increased sensitivity to its effects.
Which alcoholic drinks are the healthiest?
It's true that certain drinks will ‘go straight to your head’; these are typically carbonated beverages such as Champagne, sparkling wine and fizzy cocktails. The bubbles in these drinks speed up the body’s absorption of alcohol. So, if you’re in for a long night, go steady on that first glass of fizz.
All alcoholic drinks have the capacity to cause hangovers, but it’s the darker drinks such asport, whisky and brandy that tend to be the worst offenders. They contain chemicals called congeners which provide their characteristic flavour, aroma and colour, but are broken down by the body into toxic compounds – that’s why colourless spirits, such as vodka and gin, are considered a more clear-headed choice.
Of course, it’s the amount of alcohol you drink and your ability to effectively metabolise it that will determine how bad your hangover is likely tobe, plus if you mix your drinks, expect that to make the morning after worse too.
The smartest drinks are those that disrupt blood sugar the least, are lower in alcohol content and calories and are less likely to trigger a hangover. Here are our best and worst of the festive selection. (These are average figures, given as a guide only. Figures will vary by brand and serving size.)
5 healthiest alcoholic drinks
- Gin & slimline tonic (250ml, pre-mixed): 5% alcohol by volume (ABV); 75Kcal; 0g sugars
- Light beer (440ml): 2.2% ABV; 198Kcal; 0.9g sugars
- Red wine (175ml): 13.5% ABV; 133Kcal; 0.3g sugars
- Bloody Mary (250ml, pre-mixed): 6.3% ABV; 152Kcal; 8.6g sugars
- Mulled wine (125ml): 8% ABV; 101Kcal; 14g sugars
5 unhealthiest alcoholic drinks
- Port (50ml): 20% ABV; 78Kcal; 6g sugars
- Cream liqueur (50ml): 17% ABV; 154Kcal; 9.8g sugars
- Whisky sour (250ml, pre-mixed): 8% ABV; 183Kcal; 13.5g sugars
- Mojito (250ml, pre-mixed): 5% ABV; 166Kcal; 22.3g sugars
- Alcopops (275ml): 3.4% ABV; 148Kcal; 24g sugars
Drinking limits
UK guidelines recommend men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. Check out how many units are in a serving of your favourite tipple.
drinkaware.co.uk/tools/unit-and-calorie-calculator#/unit-and-calorie-calculator
Kerry Torrens is a freelance registered nutritionist and food writer with over 20 years of experience. Away from her desk she enjoys cooking, growing her own and walking with her dogs in her native West Country. Follow Kerry on Instagram: @kerry_torrens_nutrition_
