It might seem like a treat at the end of the day.
But Britain’s ‘wine o’clock’ culture may be partly to blame for an alarming trend that has seen deaths from chronic liver disease rocket five-fold since the 1970s.
Liver cirrhosis — scarring caused by continuous, long-term liver damage — strokes and cancer are already well-established risks of excess boozing.
Yet, research suggests it doesn’t take a huge amount of alcohol to trigger the condition.
It comes as BBC Panorama journalist, Hazel Martin, was shocked to discover she was suffering from alcohol-related liver fibrosis — or extreme scarring on the liver — at the age of just 31.
The Scottish mum-of-one said she never drank alone. Instead, she enjoyed it as a social activity.
By definition, however, her consumption from her late teens to late 20s would be considered binge drinking.
Experts have also recently sounded the alarm over a ‘concerning’ uptick of booze-related fatalities among middle-aged women.
Exactly how much alcohol can trigger irreversible liver damage does vary person by person given genetics, drinking experience and weight all play their role.
But one shock study found just 21 binge drinking sessions over seven weeks — three binge episodes per week — was enough to cause symptoms of early-stage liver failure.
Binge drinking was defined as five beers, a bottle of wine or five shots of hard liquor among men. For women, it stood at four or more drinks in two hours.
In the study on mice, US researchers found liver triglycerides — a type of blood fat — were almost 50 percent higher in binge drinkers’ livers compared to mice that abstained from alcohol.
They also discovered just one single binge drinking episode elevated the levels of the liver enzyme CYP2E1.
This metabolises alcohol into toxic by-products that can cause cell and tissue damage.
Writing in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the researchers said: ‘Our results strongly suggest that repeated, excessive alcohol drinking, even without alcohol dependence, can cause fatty liver, evidence of early alcohol-related liver dysfunction.’
According to the British Liver Trust, drinking over 4 units of alcohol per day (about two glasses of wine) will also lead to some build-up of fat in the liver.
If the damage caused by drinking continues, the liver becomes inflamed and will start to produce scar tissue as it tries to heal itself — fibrosis.
And another concerning study earlier this year found Brits who engaged in heavy binge drinking — 12 units in a single day — were three times as likely to develop alcohol-related cirrhosis than those who spread the 12 out over a week.
The researchers, who tracked more than 300,000 adults, also said those who binge drink and had high genetic predisposition were four times more likely, while people with type two diabetes had double the risk.
Dr Gautam Mehta, study co-author and hepatologist at University College London, said: ‘Only one in three people who drink at high levels go on to develop serious liver disease.
‘While genetics plays a part, this research highlights that pattern of drinking is also a key factor.
‘Our results suggest, for example, that it would be more damaging to drink 21 units over a couple of sessions rather than spread evenly over a week.’
Experts have long warned that British women are coming under increasing pressure to drink after being ‘targeted relentlessly’ by alcohol companies, cheap supermarket deals and offers of boozy brunches.
Hospitality workers and alcohol awareness charities have repeatedly called on the Government to create tighter marketing restrictions and for minimum unit pricing to be introduced in England to prevent avoidable alcohol-related health conditions.
Speaking to young women about how their drinking habits have changed, many have previously told MailOnline they wind down with alcohol because it helps them destress after a long day, gives them confidence meeting new people.
Paola Mosquera, 30, a massage therapist from Brighton, previously told MailOnline: ‘I drink when I go out because it gives me more confidence.
‘I feel more sociable and it helps me meet new people. I think this is a common thing to do in England especially, it’s just the culture here.
‘When women are raising families, have a career and are doing chores at home, it can be very stressful.
‘I know for me, sometimes when it has been very busy, all I want to do is go home and have a bubble bath with a glass of red wine. I think a lot of women would agree.
‘It’s not good to have a drinking problem but I think it’s OK if women just want to have a drink to relax, and if it is in moderation.’
Meanwhile, Michelle Pattison, 47, a carer from Newcastle, said: ‘I would drink quite a bit. I would have alcohol before I left the house and drink more when I was out.
‘Women may drink more because they often take on full-time jobs as well as caring for children and the household. They have a lot of added stress.’
The mother-of-two added that the drinks women are more likely to choose is part of the problem.
‘Women are also more likely to drink wine and spirits which has more units.
‘People also drink fruity cocktails which taste like juice so you don’t realise you’re drinking that much. It’s also very easy to finish a bottle of wine.’
Last year an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report revealed one in four British women now binge drink at least once a month — the highest proportion of the 29 countries looked at.
Over a quarter also admit to consuming six or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion, more than double the average rate of 12 per cent.
Experts slammed the ‘intentional marketing campaign by the alcohol industry’ to ‘pink up’ drinks as part of a ‘relentless’ campaign to target women.
Others have also warned that an increase in the size of wine glasses over time had played its part, as well as women misinterpreting NHS guidelines on drinking alcohol.
Under health service guidance, both men and women shouldn’t drink more than 14 units a week, with single small glass of wine (125ml) equivalent to 1.5 of those.
But, ‘some women think it is alright to consume 14 units in one session rather than spread these over a week,’ Ian Hamilton, an addiction expert at the University of York, told MailOnline today.
‘Many people don’t understand what constitutes a unit,’ he added.
Some may have been interpreting any glass of wine being 1.5 units, for example, regardless of whether it’s 150ml, 200ml or more.
‘Many women associate problems with alcohol being about drinking daily rather than binge drinking,’ Professor Hamilton said.
‘So they think that if they have alcohol free days they don’t have a problem.
‘This is clearly not the case as it is a stereotype to associate alcohol problems with daily consumption.
‘For many people it is about drinking patterns rather than frequency of consumption.’
Leading experts have also argued about the harms of moderate drinking for decades.
It came under the spotlight last year when WHO officials warned that no amount of alcohol is safe.
Scientists across the board agree that excessive alcohol consumption can cause an array of cancers and drive up blood pressure.
It puts a strain on the heart muscle and can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD), which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.
The World Health Organisation estimate alcohol kills three million people around the world each year.
