The truth about what happens if you drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week - and how much it shortens your life by (and it's shorter than you think)

Perhaps it's a bottle of sauvignon blanc with dinner most evenings. 'Drinking in moderation and healthy eating are key,' says Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer The update, which saw Dame Sally branded a 'killjoy', reduced the limit for men from three to four units a day to 14 units spread over a week, advised everyone to have several completely alcohol-free days, and recommended pregnant women drink no alcohol at all. Prof Holmes says the updated Government guidance was intended to convey a message about the increased evidence of harm, while advising people how to consume alcohol at the lowest level of risk. It's less than most people think: roughly equivalent to six pints of beer, a bottle and a half of wine or 14 single ­measures of spirits But the more women drink, the higher the risk, partly because alcohol levels remain higher in women's blood for longer. 'Whereas 14 units a week corresponds to a one in 100 risk of dying from alcohol, if men drink 50 units a week that risk increases to roughly one in six or seven,' Prof Holmes says.