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Do you want to drink less alcohol but don’t know how to go about it? Scientists recommend the use of an application, which would allow you to gradually reduce your consumption.
Reducing your alcohol consumption can be difficult. To get help, British scientists recommend the use of a free application, called “Drink Less”, which literally means, “Drink less”.
An application that allows you to monitor your consumption
Researchers from University College of London (UCL) followed 5,600 English volunteers who wanted to reduce their alcohol consumption. Initially, they drank an average of 70 units of alcohol per week, the equivalent of 25 pints of beer or seven bottles of wine.
The researchers split participants into two groups, with the first half directed to the National Health Service (NHS) online advice, and the other half invited to download the app.Drink Less“.
The “Drink Less” application allows people who use it to set goals, note the amount drunk, record their mood and the quality of their sleep after consuming alcohol. The NHS website, for its part, provides eight tips for reducing alcohol consumption, such as choosing drinks with a low alcohol content or establishing a budget for alcoholic drinks. It also lists the short- and long-term benefits of reduced consumption. On this subject, he recommends not drinking more than 14 “units” of alcohol – or around six glasses of wine or pints of beer – per week. A little more than the French recommendations.
A reduction of two units of alcohol per week
Results: After a six-month follow-up, users of the application reduced their weekly consumption by 39 units, while that of the control group decreased by 37 units. The results show that women benefited more.
“Consumption of alcohol can lead to many health problems such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases” recalls Dr Melissa Oldham, lead author of the study and researcher in behavioral sciences and health at UCL. “Around 20% of the UK adult population drinks alcohol at levels that increase the risk of health problems and the Drink Less app could help these people reduce their consumption. she believes.
What are the recommendations for alcohol consumption in France?
It is essential to remember that there is no threshold for alcohol consumption that would be without risk to health. However, benchmark values given by Santé Publique France and the National Cancer Institute define what they call “acceptable” risks. The new alcohol consumption benchmarks recommended in France since 2017 are as follows:
- 10 standard glasses of alcohol per week maximum;
- Without exceeding 2 glasses per day;
- With days without any alcohol consumption during the week;
- And by not exceeding four glasses per festive drinking occasion.
Finally, remember that a glass of alcohol corresponds to 10 grams of pure alcohol, regardless of the type of alcohol. Thus, in terms of alcohol, a 10 cl glass of champagne is equivalent to half a beer which has 25 cl or a glass of scotch, which has only 2.5 cl.
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