No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health

Yet we continue to see reductive narratives, in the media and even in science journals, that alcohol in any amount is dangerous. Earlier this month, for instance, the media reported on a new study that found even small amounts of alcohol might be harmful. Drinking alcohol is so common that people may not question how even one beer, cocktail, or glass of wine could impact their health.

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• Heavy drinking, including binge drinking, is a high-risk activity.
• Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
• When the data from both types of studies point in the same direction, we can have more confidence in the conclusion.
• Research on mice shows that consuming the agave tequila plant can increase calcium absorption and improve bone health.

Although it is well established that alcohol can cause cancer, this fact is still not widely known to the public in most countries. However, a prospective study following almost 15,000 men at four-year periods found only an increased risk of minor weight gain with higher intakes of alcohol. [19] Compared to those who did not change their alcohol intake, those who increased their intake by 2 or more drinks a day gained a little more than a half-pound. It was noted that calorie intake (not from alcohol) tended to increase along with alcohol intake. Even light alcohol consumption — up to one drink per day — is linked to a 20% increased risk of mouth and throat cancer (59, 60). For example, any amount of drinking increases the risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

• Long-term alcohol drinking may also lead to alcohol use disorder, which involves difficulty stopping or regulating alcohol consumption despite negative social and health consequences.
• Patients should work with their clinicians to understand their personal risks and make informed decisions about drinking.
• Alcohol blocks the absorption of folate and inactivates folate in the blood and tissues.
• Moderate alcohol consumption has been studied in dozens of randomized controlled trials, but those trials have never tracked more than about 200 people for more than two years.
• But hard kombucha is fermented for longer to create a higher ABV (alcohol by volume).

Shifting Benefits and Risks

And we need the media to treat the subject with the nuance it requires. Alcohol misuse at an early age increases the risk of developing AUD. Genetics or a family history of alcohol misuse increases that risk is alcohol good for you as well. Childhood trauma, mental health issues, and stress can also lead people to begin drinking or drink more than usual. Excess alcohol intake has an association with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Light beer is a lower calorie and sometimes lower alcohol alternative to regular beer. Mulled wine pairs the antioxidants of red wine with a blend of spices and herbs that may boost the health-supporting properties of the drink, such as ginger. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid that may protect against cancer, heart diseases, cognitive decline, and osteoporosis. It plays a crucial role in regulating long-term body weight as one of its primary functions is to manage hunger and promote the sensation of satiety, or fullness, in the body. In the U.S., 1 drink is usually considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of spirits (hard liquor such as gin or whiskey).

Drinks to avoid

But after countless studies, the data do not justify sweeping statements about the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on human health. The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed. This drinking pattern is responsible for the majority of alcohol-attributable breast cancers in women, with the highest burden observed in countries of the European Union (EU). In the EU, cancer is the leading cause of death – with a steadily increasing incidence rate – and the majority of all alcohol-attributable deaths are due to different types of cancers. A recent successful effort in the U.S. to launch an international study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Although the proposal was peer-reviewed and initial participants had been randomized to drink in moderation or to abstain, post hoc the NIH decided to stop the trial due to internal policy concerns.

Too much alcohol can also shut down parts of your brain that are essential for keeping you alive. Over the long term, alcohol can increase your risk of more than 200 different diseases, including in the liver and pancreas, and certain cancers. While moderate alcohol consumption may have some potential benefits, the negative effects of long-term or excessive alcohol drinking outweigh these benefits. This article will explore drinking habits, the potential health benefits of drinking in moderation, the risks, and other effects of alcohol on the body. We will also look at ways to reduce risks and alcohol consumption.

Issues with past studies on moderate alcohol use and health

While moderate alcohol consumption may reduce your risk of heart disease, heavy drinking may increase it. A statement from the WHO notes that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health. The statement adds that the potential benefits of light and moderate drinking on heart health and type 2 diabetes do not outweigh the cancer risk. One way to improve our https://ecosoberhouse.com/ collective understanding of the issue is to look at both observational and experimental data together whenever possible. When the data from both types of studies point in the same direction, we can have more confidence in the conclusion. For example, randomized controlled trials show that alcohol consumption raises levels of sex steroid hormones in the blood.

Those who try to correct this simplistic view are disparaged as pawns of the industry, even when no financial conflicts of interest exist. Meanwhile, some authors of studies suggesting alcohol is unhealthy have received money from anti-alcohol organizations. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic brain disorder that makes it difficult to control alcohol use, even when it’s causing problems. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has information on how alcohol impacts your health.

By reducing self-consciousness and shyness, alcohol may encourage people to act without inhibition. At the same time, it impairs judgment and may promote behavior people may end up regretting (1, 2). It’s produced by yeasts that digest sugar in certain carb-rich foods, such as grapes — used to make wine — or grains — used to make beer. Traditionally, mulled wine contains sugar, but people can replace it with stevia, a natural sweetener and alternative to sugar.