- Doctors have warned drinkers should abstain for a month to prevent illness
- Research has shown it can heal the liver and lower blood pressure levels
- Those who gave up for a month also at lower risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes
- Researchers claim 'staggering' results can influence drinking guidelines
‘The results
were staggering,’ said Professor Kevin Moore, who was involved in both
experiments. ‘If you had a drug that did this it would be a
multi-billion pound market.
‘There
was a 40 per cent reduction in liver fat, they lost about three
kilograms in weight and their cholesterol levels improved.’
In the
second, larger study the London researchers looked at 102 relatively
healthy men and women in their forties taking part in a ‘dry January’
campaign.
The
women had been drinking an average of 29 units of alcohol a week,
almost double the Government guidelines. The men were typically on 31
units, ten too many.
All
had blood tests and liver scans and answered detailed questionnaires.
Four weeks later the damage caused to their livers by years of heavy
drinking had started to repair itself.
Their
‘liver stiffness’ - an indication of disease - had been reduced by 12.5
per cent. Their insulin resistance - a measurement of diabetes risk -
had come down by 28 per cent.
Current recommendations state men should not drink more than four units of alcohol a day or 21 a week
They
had also lost weight, their blood pressure had dropped, and many said
their concentration and sleeping levels had improved. The researchers
are due to publish further details, which are expected to show their
risk of developing certain cancers was also reduced.
Gautam
Mehta, a liver specialist who oversaw the study, said: ‘I am excited.
There are some findings that will be pretty novel. It’s an important
study which shows the benefit from a month’s abstinence. What we can’t
say is how long those benefits are, how durable those benefits are.’
The
initial results are already being examined by Department of Health
officials, who are preparing new guidelines on safe drinking.
Current
recommendations state women should have no more than three units a day
or 14 units over a week while men should not exceed four units a day or
21 a week.
One unit is equivalent to less than half a glass of wine or half a pint of beer depending on their strength and size.
But
health professionals say these limits should be reduced. They also want
adults to be told to have at least two or three days off a week to
allow their bodies to recover.
The Royal Free’s first experiment was on ten men and women undertaking a dry January last year.
Tom
Smith of Alcohol Concern said: ‘This evidence confirms what a growing
number of other studies have shown, that having even just one month off
from alcohol has incredible health benefits.’
Andrew
Langford of the British Liver Trust said: ‘It provides good evidence
that simple behavioural change can make a real difference to the health
of your liver.’
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