Show notes
Dry January often raises big questions: how much alcohol is actually safe, and do you need to stop drinking altogether to protect your health? In this episode, world-leading alcohol expert Professor David Nutt explains why alcohol ranks as one of the most harmful drugs to society, how even “normal” drinking can affect your health, and what the science really says about cutting back without giving it up completely.David, a neuropsychopharmacologist and former UK government drug adviser, explains why alcohol was ranked the most harmful drug overall in a landmark comparison of 20 drugs, how harm rises sharply as drinking increases, and unpacks common beliefs like red wine being “good for you”. The conversation also covers the social benefits of alcohol and why the goal isn’t necessarily to stop drinking, but to drink with awareness.If you drink at all - whether it’s a glass most nights or more on weekends - this episode helps you understand where the real risks begin, and how to make alcohol work for you, not against you. And for listeners using dry January as a reset, David shares practical, science-based advice on how to cut down safely and sustainably.If you’re pausing and reflecting this dry January, what might change when you start drinking again? And which habits are worth leaving behind for good?Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 Get the ZOE app 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune systemFollow ZOE on Instagram.Timecodes📚Books by our ZOE ScientistsThe Food For Life CookbookEvery Body Should Know This by Dr Federica AmatiFood For Life by Prof. Tim SpectorFerment by Prof. Tim SpectorFree resources from ZOEEating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprintHow to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term healthLive Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & NutritionGut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast GuideMentioned in today's episode Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis, The Lancet (2010). Obesity trajectories and risk of dementia: 28 years of follow-up in the Whitehall II Study, The Alzheimer's Association (2018) Feasibility of detection and intervention for alcohol-related liver disease in the community: the Alcohol and Liver Disease Detection study (ALDDeS), British Journal of General Practice (2013) Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health by Professor David Nutt (2020)Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.Episode transcripts are available here.