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Indulge in a glass of wine, celebrate Beer Thirty, or join in on happy hour—these are the familiar calls of social drinking. But perhaps it's also time to reconsider our relationship with alcohol.
While moderate drinking was once touted for its potential heart benefits, recent research has cast doubt on this notion.
“Reducing alcohol consumption is a positive step towards better health,” remarked Dr. Timothy Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Are drinking guidelines evolving? While guidelines vary across countries, there is a general trend towards reducing alcohol intake.
The United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia have recently revisited their alcohol consumption recommendations in light of new evidence, lowering their guidelines. In 2026, Ireland will mandate cancer warning labels on alcohol.
“The scientific consensus has shifted due to overwhelming evidence linking alcohol to over 200 health conditions, including various cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and injuries,” explained Carina Ferreira-Borges, regional advisor for alcohol at the World Health Organization's regional office for Europe.
From the popular Dry January to Sober October and the rise of creative non-alcoholic cocktails, there's a cultural shift supporting moderation.
"People my age are much more open to it," noted Tessa Weber, 28, from Austin, Texas. She abstained from alcohol for Dry January this year, finding that it had been exacerbating her anxiety. She was pleased with the results—better sleep, more energy—and has continued to abstain.
“It’s important to reassess your relationship with alcohol,” Weber said. Wait, does moderate drinking not have health benefits? This notion stemmed from imperfect studies that compared groups of people based on their alcohol consumption. Typically, consumption was measured at a single point in time, and none of the studies randomly assigned individuals to drink or abstain, making it difficult to establish cause and effect.
Naimi explained that people who report moderate drinking often have higher levels of education, higher incomes, and better access to healthcare.
“When you adjust for these factors, the perceived benefits of moderate drinking tend to disappear,” he said.
Another issue is that most studies did not include younger individuals. Nearly half of those who die from alcohol-related causes pass away before the age of 50.
“If you’re studying individuals who survived into middle age without quitting drinking due to a problem or becoming heavy drinkers, you’re looking at a very selective group,” Naimi said. “This creates an illusion of benefit for moderate drinkers that is not supported by statistics.”
Contrary to the belief that alcohol has benefits, other studies suggest otherwise. These studies compare individuals with a gene variant that makes drinking unpleasant to those without the variant. Those with the variant tend to consume very little or no alcohol. One such study found that individuals with the gene variant have a lower risk of heart disease—another blow to the idea that alcohol protects against heart problems. How many drinks can one have per day? It varies.
Alcohol consumption raises the risk of several types of cancer, including colon, liver, breast, and mouth and throat cancer. Alcohol breaks down in the body into acetaldehyde, a substance that can damage cells and inhibit their repair, creating conditions favorable for cancer growth.
Naimi stated that thousands of deaths in the U.S. could be prevented annually if people followed the government's dietary guidelines, which recommend that men limit themselves to two drinks or fewer per day and women to one drink or fewer per day.
One drink is roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a shot of liquor.
Naimi served on an advisory committee that proposed lowering the recommendation for men to one drink per day. However, this advice was ultimately not incorporated into the 2020 federal recommendations.
“The evidence strongly supports the simple message that less alcohol is better for your health,” Naimi concluded.
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