Timothy had always been health-conscious. After years of social drinking, she decided to quit alcohol for good. But giving up the ritual of sipping on a drink at social gatherings felt impossible. That's when alcohol-free beer and wine seemed like the perfect alternative—offering the taste and experience without the intoxication. However, what Sarah didn't realize was that these supposedly "harmless" drinks might still be affecting her liver in ways she hadn't anticipated.

With a global shift toward healthier choices, the rise of alcohol-free beverages has been fuelled. Do these drinks, however, live up to their promise of being risk-free? New research shows that while they may eliminate the dangers of intoxication, they still pose metabolic and liver-related risks, which calls for moderation in the long run.

What Happens in your Body within 10 Minutes of Drinking Alcohol-Free Beverages?

The first time you take a sip of an alcohol-free beverage, your body responds almost instantly. Anshul Singh, Lead Clinical Nutritionist and Dietetics Department says, "In as little as 10 minutes, your taste buds have picked up on the flavors, and your brain might even get a placebo effect, giving you the sensation that you're about to be drunk. Some alcohol-free drinks have up to 0.5% ABV, which goes into the bloodstream in minute quantities but will probably not affect you in any significant way."

By the 30-minute mark, your body has metabolized the sugars, artificial sweeteners, or additives in the drink. "Some people may experience a mild insulin spike, which can cause temporary energy boosts. Some non-alcoholic drinks also contain fermentation byproducts or botanical extracts that mimic the sedative effects of alcohol, causing slight drowsiness or relaxation," adds Anshul.

After 60 minutes, most of the drink has been metabolized. Although there is no risk of intoxication, repeated consumption can subtly affect metabolism, gut health, and even trigger cravings for alcohol among those in recovery. Those sensitive to sugar, caffeine, or preservatives might experience even more pronounced effects over time.

How Alcohol-Free Drinks Affect Your Gut and Liver Connection

Your liver and gut health are connected, forming what is called the gut-liver axis. Anshul emphasises, "Even though drinks without alcohol seem harmless, they usually contain sugars, artificial sweeteners, and fermentation byproducts that can disturb this delicate balance."

• High sugar content may lead to insulin resistance, inflammation, and fat accumulation in the liver.
• Artificial sweeteners may change the gut microbiota, causing metabolic imbalances.
• Preservatives and artificial flavors can also enhance gut permeability, thus potentially leading to leaky gut syndrome.

Long-term consumption of these drinks may gradually affect digestion, liver detoxification, and overall metabolic health, making moderation necessary.

Do Alcohol-Free Drinks Still Trigger Liver Enzymes?

Even though these nonalcoholic beverages contain virtually insignificant alcohol, the liver processes them as well. "These small concentrations of alcohol-which may go as high as 0.5% ABV-trigger the liver's detoxification pathways but only at much weaker intensities compared to ordinary alcoholic drinks. But the added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives in the products could pose significant pressure on liver functions over the long term," explains Anshul.

High sugar intake causes insulin resistance, which can lead to the buildup of fat in the liver and increase the risk of developing NAFLD. Some fermentation byproducts in these beverages also trigger oxidative stress, which puts extra pressure on the liver. Though occasional consumption will not pose a significant threat, regular consumption might lead to chronic liver stress and metabolic imbalance.

Do Non-Alcoholic Beverages Affect Liver Detoxification?

Although trace amounts of alcohol exist in alcohol-free beer and wine, the body will still have to metabolize them. The body employs the same enzymatic pathways used for alcoholic beverages but at a much lower intensity. However, the added sugars, preservatives, and fermentation byproducts present their own set of challenges:

• Mild inflammation to the liver due to the additives and byproducts within the drinks.
• Insulin resistance resulting from excessive sugar intake, causing fat accumulation in the liver.
• Detoxification pathways are overburdened, and impairment of liver function occurs gradually.

Alcohol-free drinks do not cause the liver to become overwhelmed as traditional alcohol does, although it does have a lower, but still important, risk for someone who is drinking too much. For someone with a problem of liver disease or metabolic syndrome, limiting alcohol-free drinks is also important.

Should You Drink Alcohol-Free Beverages?

Alcoholic beverages have always been a dangerous drink, but the safer option for those who want to avoid intoxication. However, it is not totally risk-free. Its impact on metabolism, gut health, and liver function cannot be ignored. Although they are not harmful at first, their consumption over a long period leads to insulin resistance, liver stress, and imbalance in the gut.

For the consumers who love these drinks, moderation is the way forward. The expert shares, "The choice of brands with the least additives, lower sugar, and natural ingredients will reduce risks. In addition, supplementing with a diet that is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and hydration can complement the liver in general."

For most, thought that adopting alcohol-free beverages was a healthier decision. On discovering their side effects on liver health, though, she learned to limit its intake and settle for alternatives that included infused sparkling water, herbal teas, or even kombucha with controlled sugar levels.

The bottom line? Alcohol-free doesn't mean consequence-free. The best way to achieve long-term health is by paying attention to what goes into the body and yet still enjoy social rituals of preference.

Anshul Singh is the Team Lead with the Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Artemis Hospitals in India.

As soon as we heat peak summer heat in India, the only thig most people look forward to are the monsoon rains. Even with untimely mid-summer rains, people breathe a sigh of relief, even if it is momentary. With the transition of summer to monsoon, people find themselves feeling relieved that their risk of heat-related issues are lesser. However, it is still a looming issue, nonetheless.

A 2024 study published in the Advancing Earth and Space Sciences, points out the increasing danger of moist heat in India, especially during monsoon breaks. It finds that the periods of dry weather during monsoon season are becoming more frequent and is exposing hundreds of millions of people to life-threatening conditions.

The report points to global warming and specific weather patterns as the main causes, which in turn are projected to have serious consequences for public health and the economy.

What is Moist Heat and Why is it a Problem?

Moist heat is a combination of high temperature and high humidity. It's especially dangerous because the high humidity prevents sweat from evaporating, which is how our bodies cool down.

The report uses the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to measure this risk. A WBGT of over 31°C is considered hazardous for physical work. This is a critical point where people working outside can suffer from heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and other life-threatening conditions.

How is Heat In Monsoon An Issue

The study's most significant finding is that monsoon breaks, which are short periods without rain during the monsoon season, are surprisingly dangerous. While we often think of the monsoon as a time of cooling rain, these breaks create conditions of extreme moist heat. The report shows that monsoon breaks are a far greater threat than the hot summer months.

Widespread Danger:Between 1951 and 2020, monsoon breaks led to an increase in the area of India exposed to dangerous WBGT levels. This affected at least 670 million people.

Greater Risk Than Other Seasons: The risk of extreme moist heat during monsoon breaks is substantially higher than during other times of the year.

What Is The Reason Behind Heat In Monsoon?

The research points to two main factors behind the rise in extreme moist heat during monsoon breaks:

Global Warming

The study found a strong link between rising global temperatures and the increase in moist heat extremes in India. This suggests that global warming is making these events more frequent and intense.

Monsoon Weather Patterns

Specific weather patterns during monsoon breaks, like periods of prolonged warming and changes in air circulation, are also driving up moist heat levels. The presence of high humidity and heat during these dry spells creates a perfect storm for dangerous conditions.

How Does Heat In Monsoon Affect People?

This research has major implications for public health and policy in India, a country where a large portion of the population works in agriculture and construction.

Reduced Work Performance

The study projects that work performance in India could decline by 30-40% by the end of the century due to rising moist heat.

Economic Consequences

This drop in productivity could lead to a significant economic loss, potentially reducing India's GDP by as much as 4% and causing crop prices to rise.

Need for Policy Change

The findings emphasize the urgent need for a review of outdoor working hours and the development of new public health policies to protect workers from the growing threat of extreme moist heat.

The fight against weight gain and fat loss is something many people are fighting globally. Understanding that losing weight is more than simply being a smaller size is still foreign to many people, causing them to adopt unhealthy habits. When you lose weight, one needs to make sure they are eating appropriate foods because what you eat could have a huge impact on your health, sometimes even more than the weight itself.

Obesity is known to increase the risk of many cancers and weaken our body's ability to fight tumors. In a 2019 study obesity was linked to 4.8% of new cancers in men and 10.6% in women.

But a new study shows that not all fats are the same when it comes to this risk. The type of fat we eat can have a big impact on how tumors grow, even if a person is the same weight.

How Do Different Kinds Of Fat Affect Tumor Growth?

Researchers wanted to understand if all fats are the same when it comes to cancer risk in people with obesity. They fed mice different high-fat diets and found some surprising results.

Diets made with animal fats like lard, beef tallow, and butter made tumors grow much faster. However, diets made with plant oils like coconut, palm, and olive oil did not cause this accelerated tumor growth. What's most important is that all the mice were equally obese. This shows that the type of fat, not just being obese, is what made the difference in how the tumors grew.

How Did These Fats Affect Our Immune System?

The researchers discovered that the type of fat in the diet affects the body's immune system, specifically two types of cells: natural killer (NK) cells and CD8 T cells. These are the "killer" cells of our immune system, responsible for fighting off cancer.

• In mice fed the butter-based diet, these immune cells were less active and fewer in number inside the tumors.
• In mice fed the palm oil-based diet, these immune cells were more active and better at fighting the tumors.

This difference seems to be related to a specific fat-related molecule. The butter-based diet led to a buildup of a fatty substance called long-chain acylcarnitine in the blood. This substance acted as an "immunosuppressive metabolite"—it actively suppressed the function of the CD8 T cells, making them less effective at killing cancer cells.

Can Obesity Cause Cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, a strong connection between excess body weight and at least 13 types of cancer has been found. The risk is highest for endometrial and esophageal cancers. For these, a person with severe obesity can have a risk that is 5 to 7 times higher than someone at a healthy weight. For other cancers, the risk for people with obesity can range from a 10% increase to double the risk.

Why Does Excess Weight Increase Cancer Risk?

Scientists have several ideas about how obesity and overweight can lead to cancer:

Extra Estrogen

Fat tissue produces more estrogen. High levels of this hormone can increase the risk of cancers like breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.

Insulin and IGF-1

People with obesity often have higher levels of insulin and a hormone called IGF-1 in their blood. High levels of both can encourage cancer growth, especially for colorectal, thyroid, breast, and other cancers.

Chronic Inflammation

Excess body fat can cause ongoing, low-level inflammation in the body. This inflammation can directly help tumors grow.

Hormones from Fat Cells

Fat cells release hormones called adipokines. Some of these, like leptin, can promote cell growth, while others, like adiponectin, which helps protect against cancer, are less common in people with obesity.

Does Losing Weight Lower Cancer Risk?

While more research is needed, some studies suggest that losing weight can reduce the risk of certain cancers. In one large study of postmenopausal women, those who lost more than 5% of their body weight had a lower risk of obesity-related cancers, especially endometrial cancer.

Weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery) has also been shown to reduce the risk of cancer overall, especially in women. Some newer weight-loss medications have also been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers.

Mental health challenges often develop gradually, not suddenly. Small changes in your energy, mood, or habits can be early warning signs that something is wrong. Recognising these signals early can help you take steps to protect your wellbeing.

1. You’re Tired Even After a “Good Night’s Sleep”

Eight hours in bed and yet you still feel like a zombie? This isn’t just about physical tiredness; it’s the emotional kind that makes everything feel heavier. To fight back, try delaying that first coffee, getting your heart pumping for a few minutes, eating balanced meals, improving your sleep hygiene, or giving cold showers a go for an instant jolt.

2. Your Inner Hermit Has Taken Over

You stop replying to texts. Plans mysteriously “don’t work out”. Suddenly, the idea of spending time with people feels like running a marathon in flip-flops. While hiding away can feel safe, it also convinces your brain you’re completely alone. Ease back in slowly: visit a cafe, a library, or a park, even if you just sit there without talking to anyone. Gentle exposure can remind your mind that the world isn’t hostile.

3. Everything and Everyone Gets On Your Nerves

Slow walkers. People chewing loudly. Someone breathing in your general direction. When tiny annoyances feel like personal attacks, it’s usually a sign your tolerance levels are shrinking. The fix? Slow down your reactions. Don’t let one irritating moment snowball into a bad day. A little pause between frustration and action can save you a lot of energy.

4. The Future Looks Like a Grey, Endless Road

When your brain starts expecting the worst, it’s a major red flag. Break the cycle by giving yourself something to look forward to, no matter how small. Book tickets for a film, plan a walk in your favourite spot, or schedule dinner with a friend. Hope often hides in the little things.

5. Your Appetite Is Playing Tricks on You

You might be inhaling biscuits like they’re air or forgetting to eat altogether because nothing feels worth the effort. Either way, it’s a disruption in basic self-care. Start by checking in with your eating patterns and, if possible, plan meals ahead. A food log can help spot changes you didn’t even realise were happening. If your appetite swings keep going, see a doctor. It could be more than stress.

6. Sleep Has Packed Its Bags and Left

Whether you’re tossing for hours, waking up in the middle of the night, or opening your eyes in the morning feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus, poor sleep is often one of the first signs your mental health is slipping. Build a solid bedtime routine, experiment with cognitive shuffling (mentally hopping between unrelated words), relax your jaw before bed, or play calming sounds to help your nervous system wind down.

7. Your Personal Care Routine Has Gone Missing

Showers? Optional. Laundry? Forget it. Brushing teeth? Tomorrow, maybe. This isn’t laziness; it’s your body’s way of signalling that your energy reserves are running low. Make the basics easier for yourself: keep floss picks on the counter, place shampoo where you can’t miss it, or keep fresh clothes within reach. Reducing the steps can make the difference between “I can’t” and “I did”.