Moderate drinking linked to lower risk of death, but there's a major catch
A major report released this week found that compared with abstaining from alcohol, moderate drinking was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease, but it was also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
A major report released this week found that compared with abstaining from alcohol, moderate drinking was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease, but it was also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Far from settling the debate over whether drinking in moderation is healthy or dangerous, the report’s conclusions further muddied the issue.
The report, released Tuesday, was commissioned by Congress and carried out by a committee from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. An update to federal dietary guidelines next year could include new recommendations about how much alcohol people should drink.
The current guidelines recommend people limit alcoholic beverages and say that if they choose to drink, they should do so in moderation, defined as two drinks a day for men and one drink for women.
But over the last few years, mounting evidence has questioned the health benefits of drinking. In 2022, the World Health Organization concluded that no amount of alcohol is safe. A large report this year found that heavy drinking is linked to six cancers, including cancers of the head and neck, the esophagus, the liver and the stomach.
Rating: 5