Alcohol awareness week, co-ordinated by Alcohol Change UK began on 1st July and yesterday, our CEO Dr McLaughlan was interviewed for The Independent to help highlight some of the hidden ways alcohol impacts your health.
Fertility problems
Dr David McLaughlan, consultant psychiatrist specialising in addiction treatment at Priory Hospital Roehampton, and co-founder of Curb, an addictive behaviour change app, says: “Excess alcohol reduces testosterone production in men, as well as disrupting other hormones which in turn damages the number and quality of sperm produced by men."
“In women, alcohol disrupts ovulation and implantation of the fertilised egg. A recent study by The University of Louisville showed that even a moderate alcohol intake of just three to six alcoholic drinks per week reduced the chance of falling pregnant by 44%.”
Cancer risk
While cancer can potentially affect anyone and isn’t always preventable, McLaughlan also notes that alcohol is a known risk factor for the disease.
“People might be surprised to learn that 10% of all breast cancers are attributable to consumption of alcohol, which is one of the primary risk factors for developing the cancer, even at low volumes of consumption,” he says.
“The International Agency for Research on Cancer declared alcohol a group 1 carcinogen, which puts it in the same class as tobacco, radiation and asbestos.”
Absorption and blood issues
Long term alcohol use also impairs absorption of vitamin B and folate, which is necessary for healthy red blood cells.
“Excess alcohol [can cause] macrocytic anaemia, where the red blood cells are enlarged but ineffective and break down quicker than healthy red blood cells,” says McLaughlan. “Symptoms can include tiredness, loss of balance, pins and needles, mood disturbance and stomach upsets.”
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