Research dispels alcohol-related myths

An extended analysis of close to five million people has concluded that even low levels of alcohol consumption offer next to no health benefits and can drastically increase the chances of developing serious health complaints. A study published on Friday on the Jama Network Open, which compiled data collected from various studies between 1980 and 2021, debunks commonly held beliefs that moderate drinking can be good for the heart. The findings of the meta-analysis of 107 prior studies, which incorporated some 4.8 million people, concluded that prior research came with several blind spots: principally, that moderate drinkers are generally considered to engage in healthier activities than heavy drinkers. The study also found that some people abstain from alcohol as a result of pre-existing health problems, leading to an analytical bias that not drinking leads to medical issues not present in those who consume alcohol. The study also found that people who had two drinks per day or less had no discernible increase in health risks compared to lifetime non-drinkers, but heavy drinkers, defined as three drinks per day or more, are subject to far higher mortality risks. Stockwell estimates that moderate drinkers lose about five minutes of their life expectancy with each daily drink.