Myth 3: Drinking hard liquor is worse than drinking beer or wine. Contrary to popular belief, the type of alcohol you drink doesn't make a difference – what matters is how much you drink. "The safe limit is fixed at 14 units a week," explains Dr Lui. "Below this limit, alcoholic fatty liver is less likely to occur.
The amount of alcohol you drink is important, not the kind of alcohol you drink. 1 drink is equal to: Women with a healthy liver should not drink more than 1 alcoholic beverage a day (or 7 drinks in 1 week). Men with a healthy liver should not drink more than 2 drinks a day (or 14 drinks in 1 week).
"Alcohol is the worst drink for your liver as it makes it harder on the liver to break down and remove toxins from the body," says Minerva Valencia, RD. "Alcohol is known to cause damage to this vital organ, but a wide variety of alcoholic drinks can also pose health risks," says Janet Coleman, RD at TheConsumerMag.
Red wine, whiskey, tequila, and hard kombucha are healthier options than beer and sugary drinks. The CDC recommends you limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day if you're male and 1 if you're female.
What are the first signs of liver damage from alcohol?
Generally, symptoms of alcoholic liver disease include abdominal pain and tenderness, dry mouth and increased thirst, fatigue, jaundice (which is yellowing of the skin), loss of appetite, and nausea. Your skin may look abnormally dark or light. Your feet or hands may look red.
If you are drinking alcohol, ensure you drink plenty of water too—just alternate drinks. This will allow your liver to better process the alcohol and reduce damage.
Men and women should drink no more than 14 units per week. Give your liver a regular break and have 2 to 3 alcohol free days each week – try to have them all in a row.
Even though both red wine and white wine have similar impacts on health but red wine has a slightly higher composition of vitamins and minerals which boosts the condition of the kidneys and reduces the risks of chronic kidney diseases.
Gin has less sugar and fewer calories than some other liquors. If you already consume alcohol, gin may be a slightly healthier option. Be careful with mixers, however. They can make the sugar content of your drink skyrocket.
A liver blood test measures the levels of various things in your blood, like proteins, liver enzymes, and bilirubin. This can help check the health of your liver and for signs of inflammation or damage.
If you want to lose weight, your best options are spirits. Try drinking your choice of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, or whiskey with a low-calorie mixer like a tonic, soda, or straight. Low-calorie beers are also a great choice as more delicious options come to market.
Which Alcohol Is the Least Inflammatory? If you're generally healthy, a small amount of alcohol every day probably won't lead to inflammation, reassures Jandes. “Dry red wine seems to have the least amount of negative health effects due to its higher polyphenol content and beneficial bacteria,” she says.
Although any alcohol can be toxic if ingested in large enough quantities, the term toxic alcohol has traditionally referred to isopropanol, methanol, and ethylene glycol.
