Drinking won’t increase your lifespan.
A new review has cast doubt on the long-standing belief that moderate alcohol consumption can offer health benefits. This analysis, conducted by a team of Canadian researchers, highlights flaws in numerous studies that previously suggested moderate drinking was beneficial. It argues that even low levels of alcohol intake carry significant health risks.
Timothy Naimi, the senior author of the study and director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Abuse Research, emphasized the importance of accurately understanding the risks associated with alcohol. He pointed out that despite its legality and widespread social acceptance, alcohol remains a leading cause of preventable death and disability. The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, re-evaluated existing research on alcohol and longevity, revealing that many studies indicating benefits from moderate drinking had substantial scientific limitations.
The researchers analyzed 107 published studies that tracked individuals over time, looking at their drinking habits and lifespan. Initially, data suggested that light to moderate drinkers had a 14% lower risk of dying during the study period compared to non-drinkers. However, further analysis showed that higher-quality studies found no such benefits, suggesting that previous beliefs about the health benefits of moderate drinking might have been overstated.
Naimi discussed why the idea of moderate drinking being beneficial has persisted, noting that the appealing notion that alcohol could be good for health has been popular despite evidence to the contrary. He referred to the “French paradox” from the 1990s, which suggested red wine was the reason for low heart disease rates in France despite a rich diet, as an example of how such beliefs can take hold. The review underscores the need for better-designed studies to accurately understand alcohol’s health impacts.
The study’s findings align with recent public health guidelines that have lowered recommended alcohol intake limits. Whitney Linsenmeyer, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, remarked that the study’s results are a surprising shift from the traditional view that moderate alcohol consumption could be beneficial. She noted that evolving scientific evidence will inform future Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Naimi also highlighted that countries with high alcohol consumption, like France and England, have reduced their recommendations. The World Health Organization recently stated that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, reflecting a growing consensus against the notion of alcohol’s health benefits.
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