Modern Research Debunks Myth Regarding Health Benefits Of Moderate Drinking

The older reports that consistently found that moderate drinkers were less likely to die of all causes, including those not related to alcohol consumption, were mostly observational.

(Representational Image)

New Delhi: For many years, scientific research indicated that moderate drinking was better for most people's health than not drinking at all and that it could even help them live longer lives. A new review of over 40 years of study has found that many of those studies were flawed and that the opposite is true.

It was found in a new report, which was published in JAMA Network Open last week, that the risk of dying prematurely increased significantly for women if they consume 25 grams of alcohol a day, which is less than two standard cocktails containing 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, two 12-ounce beers or two 5-ounce glasses of wine, whereas, for men, the risk increases significantly at 45 grams of alcohol a day, or just over three drinks.

The older reports that consistently found that moderate drinkers were less likely to die of all causes, including those not related to alcohol consumption, were mostly observational. Thus, they could identify links or associations but they could be misleading and did not prove cause and effect. The older studies, according to the scientists, failed to recognise that light and moderate drinkers had a plethora of other healthy habits and benefits and that the abstainers used as a comparison group frequently included former drinkers who had given up alcohol after developing health problems.

"When you compare this unhealthy group to those who go on drinking, it makes the current drinkers look more healthy and like they have lower mortality", The New York Times quoted Tim Stockwell, who is a scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and one of the authors of the new report, which was published in JAMA Network Open last week.

Once Dr. Stockwell and his colleagues corrected these errors and others, he said, "Lo and behold, the supposed health benefits of drinking shrink dramatically, and become non-statistically significant.", as reported by The New York Times.

Additionally, Dr. Stockwell also said that the comparisons of moderate drinkers with non-drinkers were flawed for numerous reasons. People who abstain from alcohol entirely are in the minority, and those who aren't teetotalers for religious reasons are more likely to have chronic health issues, be disabled, or come from lower-income families.

Moderate drinkers tend to be moderate in all ways. They tend to be wealthier, are more likely to exercise and eat a healthy diet, and are less likely to be overweight. Additionally, scientists say that they even have better teeth.

"They have a lot of things going for them that protect their health, that has nothing to do with their alcohol use" The New York Times reported Dr. Stockwell as saying.

The idea that moderate drinking may be beneficial dates back to 1924 when a Johns Hopkins biologist named Raymond Pearl published a graph with a J-shaped curve, the low point in the middle representing the moderate drinkers, who had the lowest rates of mortality from all causes. The high point in the J represented the well-known risks of heavy alcohol consumption, such as liver disease and car crashes. The hook on the left represented abstainers.

Wine, especially red wine, gained a reputation for having health benefits in recent decades after news reports emphasised its high concentration of resveratrol, a protective antioxidant found in blueberries and cranberries. But, newer studies have found that even moderate consumption of alcohol, including red wine, may contribute to developing cancers in the breasts, oesophagus, head and neck, high blood pressure and a serious heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation.

Additionally, according to The Guidelines, some people should not consume alcohol at all, including:

• If they are pregnant or might be pregnant.
• If they are under the age of 21.
• If they have a medical problem or are taking medications that may interact with alcohol.
• If they are recovering from an alcohol use disorder or are unable to regulate their drinking.

The Guidelines also state that not drinking alcohol is the safest choice for lactating women. In general, moderate alcoholic beverage intake by a lactating woman (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant, particularly if the woman waits at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing or expressing breast milk.  Women considering consuming alcohol during lactation should talk to their healthcare provider.