If you’re worried about how your alcohol habits might be affecting your health, don’t be alarmed – there are plenty of steps you can take to minimise your risk.

At the end of the day, there’s no ‘healthy’ amount of alcohol you can consume, so it’s worth cutting down on your drinking where possible. If you do choose to drink, make sure you stay within the NHS guidelines – no more than 14 units of alcohol a week spread across three days or more. That’s around six medium glasses of wine or six pints of beer.

Having several alcohol-free days each week is a great way to give your liver a break and stop the other negative effects of alcohol on your sleep and mood from adding up.

Binge drinking is particularly harmful for the liver, so try to avoid drinking in excess where possible. The official definition of binge drinking for women is around six units in a single session, but drinking to get drunk in any capacity isn’t great for your health.

A good point to remember is that your body is only able to process roughly one unit of alcohol per hour – drinking any more than this will lead alcohol to build up in the blood and body tissues until it can be metabolised.

For tips on cutting down your alcohol intake, check out our guide to getting started. And for more help and advice on dealing with alcohol misuse, visit the NHS website or drinkaware.co.uk

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