How to live longer: How going teetotal may be the best choice you

If you’d really like to take care of your health, it may be worthwhile giving up the booze completely, experts suggest. It could result in good health in later life, and more years with loved ones.

The health benefits of going tee-total

Weight loss

Health Advisor for Bupa UK, Jake Williams, warned of the sugar and calories in alcoholic beverages.

“A large glass of wine, for example, has the same amount of calories as an ice cream,” he said. “And a pint of cider has the same as a doughnut.”

Thus, if you say goodbye to your tipple of choice, the possibility of losing weight is very real (as long as you don’t increase your food intake).

In addition, men who tend to abuse alcohol are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, whereas women can encounter fertility issues if they’re of reproductive age.

Moreover, alcohol prevents the body from absorbing vitamins and minerals from the diet, which can lead to malnutrition for both sexes.

The probability of throat cancer, mouth cancer, oesophagus cancer and breast cancer also increases for chronic drinkers.

People who drink frequently are more susceptible to illnesses such as pneumonia, as the immune system struggles to ward off bacteria and viruses.