Moderate drinking harmless? A major new study found that having just two alcoholic drinks a day is linked to a 1 in 25 lifetime risk of dying from alcohol-related causes, challenging a long-held belief
For years, having a drink with dinner or sharing a couple of drinks with friends has often been treated as a relatively harmless habit, provided it does not turn into heavy drinking. But new research suggests that consuming what many people consider a moderate amount of alcohol may carry a greater long-term health risk than they realise.A major analysis published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs estimated that people who consume an average of two alcoholic drinks a day face a 1-in-25 lifetime risk of dying from an alcohol-related cause. The researchers also found no overall protective health effect from alcohol, challenging the belief that light or moderate drinking is necessarily good for health. The findings come from the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, led by researchers from the United States and Canada.
What did the researchers find?
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The researchers examined how different levels of alcohol consumption were associated with the risk of illness, disability and premature death in the US population. They reviewed more than 7,200 scientific publications on alcohol-related diseases and injuries, then combined evidence about those risks with national health and mortality data.Using statistical models, the team estimated the lifetime risk of death attributable to alcohol at different levels of consumption. The analysis found that people drinking an average of 14 standard drinks a week, equivalent to two a day had an estimated 1-in-25 lifetime risk of an alcohol-attributable death.At seven drinks a week, the estimated risk was much lower, at about one in 1,000. The researchers found that risks generally increased as consumption rose, although the size of the risk varied by health condition, age, sex and drinking pattern. The study examined alcohol-related causes of death involving several conditions, including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast, liver disease, cardiovascular conditions and injuries. Kevin Shield, the study’s lead author and an associate professor at the University of Toronto, said that the risk continues to increase as alcohol consumption rises.\
Does moderate drinking offer any health benefits?
One of the study’s central findings challenges the idea that drinking small amounts of alcohol provides an overall health advantage. Some earlier research has suggested that light drinking may be associated with a lower risk of certain cardiovascular conditions. However, the researchers found no significant overall protective effect when they considered alcohol’s links to a broad range of health outcomes. Possible reductions in the risk of some conditions did not outweigh the risks associated with cancer, liver disease, injuries and other alcohol-related problems.The findings do not mean that every person who drinks will develop an alcohol-related illness. They indicate that, when health risks are considered together, the researchers did not find an overall benefit that would justify treating alcohol as a health-promoting habit.
What counts as two drinks a day?
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The study used the US definition of a standard drink, which contains approximately 13.6 grams of pure alcohol. Depending on alcohol content, this is roughly equivalent to 355 ml of regular beer, 148 ml of wine or 44 ml of spirits. Actual servings can contain more alcohol than these standard amounts. A large glass of wine or a strong beer, for example, may count as more than one standard drink.The researchers found that the risks associated with drinking became more pronounced above approximately seven drinks per week. Their analysis also suggested that people under 40 may face particular risks from alcohol-related injuries and other causes of premature death.
What does the study mean for drinking habits?
The findings offer a reason to reconsider the assumption that drinking two alcoholic beverages every day is harmless simply because it is not usually classified as heavy drinking. For people who drink, reducing the amount and frequency of consumption can lower exposure to alcohol-related risks. It is also important to remember that the same number of drinks can produce different risks depending on how they are consumed. Several drinks in one sitting may pose additional dangers compared with spreading them across different occasions.The analysis has limitations. Its estimates are based on US health and mortality data. The precise figures may not translate directly to every population or individual.
