The World Health Organization has issued a warning that no amount of alcohol is safe even as it noted that alcohol wrecks the heart, batters the brain and poisons the liver. Alcohol is officially classed as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as tobacco, and has been conclusively linked to at least seven forms of cancer.

Research shows that even light or moderate drinking raises the risk of heart disease, liver damage, depression and more. Every glass, no matter how small, carries consequences. Yet experts stress that the harm is not permanent, and the benefits of quitting alcohol begin almost immediately.

Professor Debbie Shawcross, a liver specialist at King?s College Hospital, London, stated: ?In the first few weeks there will be improvements in sleep quality, concentration, hydration and digestion. In the long term, blood pressure will drop and stress on the liver will reduce.?

Doctors say that whether you cut down or give up altogether, your chances of living longer and healthier rise from day one.

Alcohol disrupts the body from top to toe. It sedates the brain rather than helping it sleep, irritates the stomach, raises blood pressure, and fuels inflammation that can trigger clots, heart attacks and strokes. It shrinks brain tissue, distorts memory and dulls mood by interfering with dopamine and serotonin. Over time, the liver which processes nearly all the alcohol we drink, is forced into overdrive, and fatty deposits and scarring can lead to cirrhosis, a condition that kills thousands every year and dramatically increases the risk of cancer.

But the human body is remarkably resilient. Within days of giving up alcohol, reflux and indigestion often ease, sleep becomes deeper, energy steadier and concentration sharper. Within weeks, blood pressure falls and in months, the brain?s chemistry begins to rebalance, bringing clearer thinking and better mood. Over the years, the risk of cirrhosis, heart disease and cancer steadily declines.

It is advised to drink no more than 14 units in a week which is the equivalent of six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine, yet studies show even one drink a week raises cancer risk by three per cent. A daily small glass of wine increases breast cancer risk by 15 per cent, and two bottles of wine a week increases it by 27 per cent.

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable disease, killing thousands each year from excessive drinking.

The message from doctors is clear: every drink adds risk ? but every day without alcohol brings recovery. From the first morning you wake up without a hangover, your body is already beginning to repair the damage. (Saturday Vanguard)

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