Julie

For years we’ve been told that low to moderate alcohol intake could be safe and even sometimes beneficial for us in the case of red wine. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA of over 100 studies and nearly 5 million people found otherwise. They found no significant reductions in risk of all-cause mortality for drinkers who drank less than 25 grams of ethanol per day (2 drinks), and there was a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality among female drinkers who drank 25 or more grams per day and among male drinkers who drank 45 or more grams per day. We’ve also since learned that many of the pro-alcohol studies were (unsurprisingly) funded by the alcohol industry, and we’ve seen other studies showing that moderate consumption of alcohol can increase the risk for cancers of the breast, esophagus, head, and neck, and are also linked to high blood pressure and a serious heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. While this may not be the most popular study to share, it’s important to know about it. I like to use this information to make mindful choices about how much alcohol I consume in the context of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. What benefits have you noticed from reducing your alcohol consumption? DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6185