Responsible drinking

Your body benefits from cutting down, taking a break or going alcohol free

Whether it’s introducing one drink-free day a week or a month-long break during Sober October or Dry January, the cultural shift towards responsible drinking is making more of us reconsider our alcohol intake.

Passionate about helping customers keep their health at the forefront of their minds, we’ve put together some advice to help you be mindful of your alcohol consumption with recommendations for no, or low, alcohol alternatives.

As alcohol is consumed the liver will prioritise it over doing the job of breaking down fat in the body and this can lead to a build-up of unprocessed fats – the basis for fatty liver disease. Even when your liver does break down the alcohol, the chemical reaction involved damages its cells and can lead to inflammation and scarring.

Overindulgence can also affect our sleep and, although you might fall asleep more quickly after drinking alcohol, it inhibits deep sleep so you’ll spend more time in the less restful, rapid-eye-movement stage.

A fifth of adults in England currently drink above the low-risk guidelines of 14 units per week. Exceeding this guideline increases the risk of ill-health and poorer quality of life, so it’s a good idea to moderate alcohol consumption.

“If you’re drinking alcohol, it’s important to stay hydrated, as alcohol is a diuretic. Try to have a glass of water alongside your drink of choice.” Joanne Lunn, Partner and Nutritionist

To keep health risks from alcohol at a low level the government advises:

Men and women should drink no more than 14 units* per week on a regular basis
Spread drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week
Try to have several drink-free days a week

*14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses (125ml) of lower-strength wine or 6 medium glasses (175ml)

If you’re looking for tasty alternatives to alcohol, the choice has never been better. From craft beers to sparkling wines to botanical cordials, no- and low-alcohol ranges are on the rise.

To be described as alcohol-free, a drink must be below 0.05% ABV, a de-alcoholised drink is below 0.5% ABV, and a low-alcohol drink is below 1.2% ABV. In store you can find clear signposting to the alcohol-free section.

Tips for cutting down on your weekly intake

Try having a number of alcohol-free days each week
Browse our range of no- and-low alcohol options.
Make a mocktail. Find recipe inspiration here.
Try mixing wine with sparkling water to make a spritzer - you’ll drink less alcohol but still enjoy a drink.
Switch to bottled beers instead of pints to cut down on the amount you drink.
Check the size of your wine glasses. A small glass of wine is 125ml but at home we tend to be more generous, so go easy.
Invest in a spirit measure so you don’t overpour, and try having a long gin and tonic with a 25cl measure instead of a glass of wine.

Allergens and wine

You may have noticed a change to our wine labels when we introduced allergen information. Egg and milk proteins are commonly used to clarify wines during the wine making process. Under UK law we are obliged to label these allergens, as well as sulphites, when they are used in our wines accordingly. The egg and milk proteins are removed during processing and are unlikely to cause an effect to milk- or egg-allergic individuals.

For more information

Find out more about alcohol and your health:
www.nhs.uk/livewell/alcohol
(opens in a new tab)

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