Doctors say avoid alcohol three days a week

LONDON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- British doctors say drinkers should avoid alcohol three days a week to avoid binge drinking cycles and liver disease.

The Royal College of Physicians says the government's current stance on healthy drinking limits is misleading, saying it implies it is safe for people to consume alcohol every day of the week, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

"People should have two to three alcohol-free days every week to reduce the risks of long-term damage from binge drinking, including liver disease," a spokesman for the RCP said.

"After a day of drinking there is a need for a time to recover and that is why we need rest days in between our alcohol consumption."

Sir Ian Gilmore, special adviser on alcohol at the RCP, said Britain's binge drinking culture is putting people in hospitals across the country.

"Given the burden of harm that we've got, it's vital that levels are not increased at this point," Gilmore said.

"We recommend a safe limit of 0 to 21 units a week for men and 0 to 14 units a week for women, provided the total amount is not drunk in one or two bouts and that there are two or three alcohol-free days a week. At these levels, most individuals are unlikely to come to harm."