The common belief that an occasional drink is good for you has been debunked in a new study.
The new research, led by Rachel Visontay, a Ph.D. student at the University of Sydney, finds that low to moderate drinking may not protect against health conditions, as previously thought. This means that current guidelines on alcohol use may be "substantially off base," the study reports.
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Red wine for example, has previously been linked to decreased risk of heart disease, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and depression. This is due to its antioxidants. So previous traditional research has suggested that low to moderate drinking provides some protection again disease, while those who abstain completely have a slightly higher risk. Heavy drinkers have always been found to be at a much greater risk.
This approach has been integrated into alcohol consumption guidance. However, this so-called "J curve" model may be causing more harm then good.
The most recent research from Australian scientists focused on using more unique methods to look at how alcohol influences the risk of disease.
They discovered that the protective benefits of alcohol appear much less than previously thought.
An analysis of alcohol paired with death rates of men also found there were no protective benefits of alcohol. This new evaluation found a stark contrast with previous research.
While there may very well be a small amount of protective benefits for some conditions, the new study, published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, notes that it is "likely small and more than offset by alcohol's harms."
Current "J curve" guidelines could change drastically if these new findings were implemented, the study reported. For example, the recommended number of drinks associated with minimal risks in Australia could actually fall from 10 to just 2 and half per week.
However the authors note this may be different for certain individuals depending on their own risk factors.
The findings also underscore how there are other ways to achieve small protective benefits sometimes found in alcohol. Aspirin, for example, is said to have the same protective benefits against cardiovascular risk. Low consumption of alcohol is said to do this because it reduces platelet activity—as does aspirin.
"Potentially, any protective effects of alcohol could be reframed as proof of concept for lifestyle interventions. The researchers acknowledge that even novel approaches to exploring causality are imperfect," a summary of the findings concludes. "Triangulating multiple analytical methods with complementary strengths and weaknesses is the most promising route to understanding alcohol's long-term health effects. Is low-level alcohol consumption really health protective? "
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
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