Oxford liver specialist encourages moderated drinking over Christmas
Dr Jeremy Cobbold gives tips on how to celebrate safely
A liver specialist in Oxford is advising people to drink in moderation during the festive period to avoid affecting their health.
Dr Jeremy Cobbold, consultant at Welbeck Health Partners, said: “Everyone deserves to let their hair down a bit, relax, indulge a bit, and so on. People are going to have a drink and eat more than normal, and that’s completely fine.
“But if you’re conscious about your health, if you want to think about ways of trying to improve your health, or at least limit the damage over the period, there are a few things I’d recommend.”
Dr Cobbold’s advice includes simple tips for managing alcohol consumption over the festive period: “If you’re having a drink out with friends and the evening is going on, that’s a long period of time that you can be drinking.
“You might consider alternating your drinks with non-alcoholic drinks. Be worth considering NOLOs – that’s no alcohol and low alcohol drinks - as well. They’re a lot better now than they used to be.”
Another recommendation was to steer clear of having a drink right before bed.
“I would always recommend avoiding the nightcap because no one ever benefits from the nightcap,” said Dr Cobbold. “You feel a lot worse the following day.”
diets while breaking down toxins and waste products, such as alcohol.
He suggested trying to incorporate alcohol-free days into the festive season as a way to give the body time to recover, as well as staying active and monitoring your sugar consumption.
“Enjoy your festive food, but – again – don’t overdo it day after day.
“And exercise. All exercise is good exercise and boosts metabolism, a Christmas walk or other activities you’d consider to be fun, whether it be swimming, padel, yoga, cycling, or kicking a ball around with the children.”