hi I'm new to all of this so I'm sure this has probably been asked before so apologies. Can I ask peoples advice/opinions on non alcoholic versions of drinks ie gin, beer etc. are they any better/safer for the liver? I know there’s no alcohol but still concerned there might be other things lurking. I’ve been diagnosed as possibly borderline cirrhosis with NAFLD so im trying to do all I can diet wise.
Many thanks in advance x
In people who have alcohol related liver disease then they are an absolute no, no if transplant is being considered since they don't prove a willingness to pull away from drinking culture and can prove to be a 'trigger' back to the 'real thing' since they will never live up to the real thing in taste and obviously affect.
We have also had incidences on the forum of people who have asked for the alcohol free and been served the real version in error.
If you have NAFLD and or cirrhosis then they are probably the safer option than having a glass of the real thing - certainly won't be giving a struggling liver the job of dealing with booze on top of everything else - they still often have a minute trace of alcohol in them but actually less than a ripe banana.
Watch sugar content of any drinks too.
Katie
ah thanks for your reply Katie 🙏 I’m actually tee total, I’ve never really drunk, it’s just I’m so bored of drinking water and am hoping they’re an acceptable alternative. Yes I’m very aware of sugar content in everything at the moment. Thanks for your reply x
You'd be better off exploring more in the soft drinks line - there are some lovely adult cordials and things.
brilliant thank you 🙏 🙏
i disagree .i have been trying to give up alcohol this last year and kept going to the pub where i have alovely social life andmet new people .forearmed with a zero alcohol mindset i never drink alcohol although orange squash becomes boring . my friends couldnt care less whether i drink or not
thank you Mozlaw 🙏 yes I think these drinks definitely have their place and I’m certainly not bothered about drinking alcohol but I guess my query is whether they themselves would still harm the liver in other ways that I’m not aware of 🤷♀️
they might have a few more carbs but i dont really see how that could affect you.
unles you are very overweight in which case beware of fat on the liver and pancreas diabetes wise
thank you for your advice 🙏
i dis agree with katie .a 440ml can of guiness zero alcohol which some people enjoy the taste of has less sugar than half a can of baked beans. look on the labels and you might find soe tasty alternatives to good ol water
chocolate is far worse
there’s a large range of alcohol free beer and wine about. It’s only a great idea if, and it’s a big if, a person hasn’t had major issues with alcohol in the past. I wouldn’t recommend this to a recovered alcoholic or someone with unhealthy alcohol habits as it’s a trigger. It’s certainly isn’t a trigger if you have a healthy relationship with alcohol I.e. drink moderately or occasionally and never over do it. As for traces of alcohol/ 1. It’s negligible and you’d have to give a lot of stuff If not even a microbe alcohol must not pass thou lips. No tiramisu for example. Ripe bananas etc.
the liver can cope with a single drop of alcohol. A whole vat, tank is a different story.
I read your tea-total. I fail to see how alcohol free drinks can trigger you.
Before go though. I’d definitely stick to buying my own to have at home. You be able to have alcohol free in pubs, bars but someone rightly pointed out that despite requesting such drinks, the likelihood ogpf getting an alcoholic drink is high. You don’t wanna have to drink an alcoholic in that scenario. Any poorly liver will struggle with one drink and it’s not worth it.
thank you for replying Schnoodle2017 🙏. Yes that all makes a lot of sense, thank you.
i went to a pub yesterday and zero alcohol heineken was i full view .i dont believe that you will be given alcohol if you ask plainly and say are you sure this is alcohol free
I always have the bottle and pour my own and watch very carefully when buying...only once did they get it wrong !! I noticed immediately after the first sip !!
I agree. I drink 0%gin and the brand I chose is also 0% sugar. I asked my local bar to get it for me as I think it's the best brand for 0%. They were more than happy to do so. I have also seen another post that says it's absolutely ok as long as you haven't had alcohol problems in the past. I worry about the cocktails as they have a lot of fruit juices in them which are very high in sugars. Just my opinion as others may have been given different information
thank you Iro1 🙏
A lot of them have high salt content in them, there has been quite a lot of disccussion before about this topic, not all ingredients are listed on the label and even though some of them claim to be non alcoholic, they have actually got alocohol in them, perhaps do a web search and consult medical professionals before going down this route. If you are bored with water, maybe try flavoured water, elderflower for example or milk 😀, different bottled brands of water taste differently, just watch the ph level.
thank you MrHappy, that’s interesting re the salt content. I’ll definitely look into it more 🙏
I like Tescos no added sugar ginger beer (not the alcohol containing kind of ginger beer). I don’t have fizzy drinks too often as carbonated drinks aren’t good for your bones and having PBC increases my risk of osteoporosis. But when I fancy a bit of variety, this is what I go for. I also like elderflower cordial. It’s really refreshing on a hot day
Thank you Readlots, I’ll have a look when I’m next in there 👍
I think there's a movement atm of people who chose not to have alcohol (even just for driving purposes) and offering Coke or juice just isn't enough now. Most up and coming bars and restaurants have a fantastic mocktail menu. Why do we lack imagination and think that we have to have zero beer/wine or coke? There's some fantastic drinks out there, a huge, intriguing variety actually. Probably not many have low sugar content but perfect for treat drinks . Have fun and explore a bit!
thank you for your reply Ewife 👍
Personally, I steer well clear of them . I got into trouble with alcohol a few years ago and ended up very ill. I have cirrhosis but luckily for me I’m well compensated and live a normal life, but completely alcohol free. There are so many soft drinks these days which are delicious, and not alcohol free versions, that I’m never lost for alternatives. Some of the supermarkets do amazing cordials and light sparkling drinks that I don’t feel I’m constrained to coke or lemonade. For me it’s by far the safest thing.
that’s great to hear, thank you 🙏
To be honest a lot of the alcohol free stuff is not alcohol free it is sometimes about 0.5 alcohol which means you would have to drink a stupid amount to get the same amount of alcohol as a normal drink if your problems are not alcohol related then it should not be a problem but check well what you are going to drink not a easy as they make out
Dave
thank you Dave 🙏
Hi if you feel it would not lead you down the route of moving onto alcohol then there is nothing wrong with drinking zero alcohol drinks. There are a lot of us that were never alcoholics but we did drink more than the recommended weekly limit (I don’t know many people in my friends circle who honesty hand in heart don’t) and have ended up with cirrhosis. My consultant as well as explaining I had done the damage to myself also said I was unlucky too as he sees patients that drink much more but don’t develop it. Had I know then what I know now or had symptoms earlier I would have course have re looked at my drinking routine.
What I find frustrating is the constant message that if you need a transplant due to alcohol is that you are automatically lumped together in a category that frowns at you for looking for an alternative and suggests cordial, pop or fruit drinks all of which can have more sugar in them that the zero drinks. The calorie count in these drinks is not that high either. I honestly think that making a person feel guilty for looking for a substitute constantly is not productive at all. My rule to myself was
1) how hard was it to stop drinking when I was given my diagnosis. Stopped that day
2) how worried was I that I would be given alcohol by accident. Zero (no pun intended) as the bottle I am drinking from is right in front of me. If I have a gin I go to the bar myself and watch it being poured. Believe me zero alcoholic drinks are getting better but you would know if you got served a real one.
if it wasn’t for vaping I would never have stopped smoking 25 cigarettes a day. I tried everything. Vaping was frowned upon but notice they are sold in chemists now as an acceptable way of stopping smoking or an alternative to cigarettes.
I will never drink an alcohol drink ever again but I’m not going to feel guilty about having a zero one just because someone else says it’s a slippery slope. For some of us it isn’t. We have too much respect for the donors that have given us this 2nd chance.
Thanks
thank you for your very insightful reply, that makes a lot of sense 🙏
I don’t want to make anyone feel guilty, far from it. I think the point I and others are making is that zero alcohol drinks can be triggering. There is a lot of academic research to back this up. Most contain a tiny quantity of alcohol - which can be enough to create a chemical response in the body which leads to a return to alcohol use. For someone like me, that could be lethal. It would be wrong to say that drinking zero alcohol is risk free - because it’s not.
I agree that maybe for some people but I question would such a small amount trigger the body crying out for alcohol. More likely a lack of willpower and that it doesn’t cause the same feeling alcohol does. A zero Heineken has probably around same alcohol content as a banana and I’ve never policed my sons banana intake when he was a child. It would be interesting to see statistically if there was no such thing as a zero alcohol drink how many of the people who blamed these drinks would have had an alcoholic drink anyway or playing devils advocate how many more people would have strayed back to alcohol without them. I’m not saying it suits everyone though and anybody who after trying one feels an urge to have an alcoholic one should stop immediately . I suppose you could say the same for someone who had a transplant because of a fatty liver due to obesity/ high cholesterol - if they had a sugar free biscuit could it lead to eating full sugar ones and eventually back to a poor diet. Maybe??
as Aotea said, it’s well researched. You do not sound like you had a dependence or abuse problem. For those that do, even a wift can trigger them, remember alcohol can rewire the brain so it’s nothing to do with willpower. That is a unfair fallacy to those afflicted. Your others examples are therefore all invalid. No alcohol free drink is truly alcohol free.
I’ve agreed that if you have an addiction you should refrain. However there are people that have their diagnosis as ARLD that are not addicts and I just want people to bear that in mind before they immediately shut us down for discussing it. Fatty liver disease can also be caused by obesity due to poor diet and lack of exercise but we don’t seem to go to the same lengths discussing what they can and cannot eat in the future and how they should maybe avoid smelling a cake or eating a low calorie vegan pizza in case it sets off a trigger to move back to previous eating habits. Maybe I didn’t put it across very well but the point I am trying to make is comments should be a balanced view. There will be statistics that show as a trigger but there will also be statistics that show relapses from people continuing with a poor diet and lack of exercise. Last note no one has said zero alcoholic drinks are completely free of alcohol but in the zero ones the amount is negligible - same as in a banana etc hoping no one is thinking we should abstain from those too 😳
I agree, to a point. The reason we go on about alcohol dependance and not cake or turnips or what ever else is because they are not equitable. You cannot compare alcoholism to overweight people and cake. With the sugar example , I agree it’s more of a willpower thing. But if you are dependent on alcohol, you physically need it and just stopping can and does kill people. Very few other drugs or vices change your brain chemistry as much as alcohol can. Comparing it to nearly any other addiction is not a like for like comparison. For these people, their brain is changed for good and even the slightest whiff will see them craving it on a physical level. That is not to say everyone that has damaged their liver due to alcohol is dependant, however.
But am with you, if you aren’t were you are due to alcohol crack on. If you are, danger for here be dragons potentially.
Well was diagnosed with fatty liver,fibrosis, and some cirrhosis, had diabetes last 35 yrs and I was placed on low carb diet, moderate exercise & absolutely no alcohol!! Only allowed to drink black coffee & plain water, since 2019, have lost 75lbs.
thank you Herman7275, sounds very similar to my situation.
thank you all so much for all your replies and advice. Stay well everyone x
I have NAFLD. I drink a popular brand of gin which is O% alcohol and 0% sugar. It tastes very botanical and lovely. You would definitely know the difference between that and real gin if served it by mistake. It's just a refreshing drink like an Elderflower really without the flowery taste. They serve it in a gin glass with ice and a slice and I just feel more comfortable with people not saying ' why aren't you drinking '
Many if mt friends also enjoy one now even though they still drink alcohol. Hubby drinks it when he's driving.
I feel normal in a social occasion. With all the limits on food to deal with when eating out it's a pleasant change. Good luck. You obviously have no problem with alcohol so I'd say go for it if you fancy a change.
thank you Ronstadt, I’ll definitely look into that 🙏 x
I always stick to soft drinks - I like blackcurrant and lemonade or a st Clemente which it orange just and bitter lemon - sometimes it’s fun to ask the staff at the venue, they will sometimes others you can try
It's great that you're exploring non-alcoholic drink options, especially with your health in mind. Non-alcoholic versions of drinks like gin and beer can be a safer choice for your liver since they don't contain alcohol. However, it's essential to check the ingredients, as some may still contain additives or sugars.
If you're looking for more information and recipes, you can check out the blog at goodmocktail.com/blog . They offer a variety of mocktail ideas that are both delicious and liver-friendly. Cheers to your health journey!
Non alcoholic liver disease
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Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
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