Abstaining from alcohol in January 'not enough' liver experts say

Year-round action is needed to protect the liver from the effects of alcohol and fatty food, including having at least two alcohol free days a week, taking regular exercise and cutting down on fat and sugar in the diet, the British Liver Trust has warned.

The charity Alcohol Concern are however encouraging people to abstain from drinking this month in their Dry January challenge, in order to help them save money, lose weight and feel healthier.

Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: "It's not about a quick fix in January, to repair the liver and keep it healthy, people need to follow our three-step plan all-year round: 1) Take two to three days off alcohol every week; 2) get regular exercise; 3) cut down on sugar and fat.

"Last year the Love Your Liver Roadshow found that one in four people tested were showing the early signs of liver disease. Caught at this early stage, lifestyle changes allow the liver to repair itself.

"Having an alcoholic drink every night, overindulging in rich food too frequently and not making time for regular exercise are major contributing factors for liver disease.

"As everyone is affected differently, and symptoms are almost unrecognisable until the damage is beyond repair, the Government needs to take action to help people understand the damage they are doing.

"Our Love Your Liver campaign offers free screenings to the public at a series of pop-up liver health clinics, offering free FibroScan tests which help identify the early warning signs and practical advice about how to love your liver. However, we can only reach a very small group of people and we're appealing for the Government to do more."

The British Liver Trust called on the Government to make early liver screening available to everyone at risk in a bid to save one million lives a year.

Liver disease, now the fifth biggest killer in the UK, has increased in the past year as British culture continues to embrace the daily consumption of alcohol and unhealthy food choices, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, the trust said.

With no early warning signs, and tolerance levels varying genetically, liver testing is critical to identify early signs of damage so people can make lifestyle changes to save their lives.

The charity made its plea as it launched its second Love Your Liver awareness campaign, to be led by a nationwide roadshow of 'pop-up' liver health clinics, sponsored by Eisberg alcohol-free wine.

A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said their campaign was aimed at encouraging people to think about how much they drink overall and does not claim to improve long-term health.

Their campaign material states: "This is not a medical detox programme and should not be undertaken by people with alcohol dependency issues.

"This is both an awareness raising campaign and a fundraiser for Alcohol Concern. All money raised must be donated to Alcohol Concern only.

"The benefits of giving up alcohol for a short period include: improved sleep, losing weight, improved skin and hair quality, and saving money. It is unlikely there will be any significant change in liver function over a month.

"This type of campaign has been run in different forms in Australia and New Zealand, where one campaign reports 2/3 of participants have had more alcohol free days than before, and just over half report reducing how often they drank alcoholic drinks. More than a third reduced the frequency of consumption for a whole year."