It has been proposed for a long time that moderate drinking may have considerable beneficial properties. A recent research that was released in JAMA Network Open raises doubts about this assumption. At the University of Victoria, researchers from the Canadian Centre for Substance Use Research examined 107 studies with 4.8 million participants that were published between January 1980 and July 2021. They discovered that ethanol, the kind of alcohol included in beer, wine, and liquor, was the limit at which drinkers did not significantly outlive non-drinkers.
Generally, the normal beverages that are available in the US approximately have half an ounce of ethanol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that one ounce of ethanol equals two 12-ounce beers or two 5-ounces of wine.
According to Dr. Tim Stockwell, a professor at the Canadian Centre for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, who was also involved in the research and led the study, the findings of the study “provide more evidence that the presumption indicating health benefits from moderate alcohol consumption is not based on strong science.”
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Dr. Tim Stockwell further highlighted that the research papers that served as the foundation of this research had several serious errors. For example, 86 out of 107 previous researchers categorized those who used to drink previously as abstainers. He believes these studies make individuals who continue to drink look better compared to those who give up consuming alcohol. Thus, he suggests, that medical practitioners should not suggest their patients drink alcohol for its supposed benefits.
Although he was not engaged in the study, Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said the results were not unexpected. He said, “There is no safe level of alcohol consumption. It is untrue what studies claim about one or two drinks being able to stop strokes. The risk of blood pressure and stroke increases gradually as alcohol use increases.”
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Dr. Tuell further pointed out that several factors, including a person’s genetics/DNA, body water content, the body’s metabolism of alcohol, and any mental health conditions, influence how drinking affects them. In particular, if alcohol has been used as a “go-to” coping method for life stressors, he said, “a tiny quantity of alcohol might be just as detrimental for certain individuals.” In addition, he noted that certain people are genetically predisposed to certain conditions, which means that one person’s drinking habits may have a very different impact on them than on someone else.
A “significantly elevated risk of all-cause mortality” was discovered by the current study for both males and females who consumed one and a half ounces or more of alcohol each day. Dr. Tuell stated, “We do know that women have a higher risk even if they consume less alcohol daily. Alcohol is absorbed and metabolized differently in women than in males.” He said, “Females often have less body water than men of equal body weight, resulting in greater blood alcohol concentrations after consuming equivalent amounts of alcohol.”
The study contained flaws, and the principal investigator observed that the majority of the studies were “low-quality.” Stronger research is therefore required. According to Dr. Stockwell, “These data should not be utilized to define low-risk drinking limits.” “They need to be based not only on fatalities from all causes but on outcomes from studies looking at specific alcohol-caused illnesses, such liver disease or certain malignancies.” It’s also crucial to keep in mind that the study was self-reported, which may have led to some data being misrepresented.
