Debunking the Myth: Drinking a Glass of Wine a Day Does Not Help You Live Longer, Says New Analysis
A new analysis of alcohol research has found that drinking a glass of wine a day will not help you live longer, debunking a longstanding belief about the possible health benefits of drinking alcohol moderately.[0] The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, reviewed 107 studies and found that there is no evidence that drinking, of any amount, reduces a person’s risk of early death, but there is a window where alcohol consumption does not appear to be associated with an increased risk.[1] People who consumed 25 to 44 grams of alcohol per day, which is equivalent to approximately two to three drinks, exhibited a higher likelihood of mortality as compared to those who did not consume alcohol.[2] However, the outcomes pertaining to this amount of alcohol consumption did not display any statistical significance, indicating that the variance was minimal enough to not eliminate the likelihood of it being a fluke.[3] Women who drink more than a glass of wine a day are at least a fifth more prone to an early grave than abstainers. Previous research has shown that just as women metabolize alcohol differently than men, they also face more serious health consequences.[4] The study stressed that previous estimates of the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of death by “all causes” were “significantly” biased by flaws in study design.[5] Despite these findings, the researchers advise against using their results to create safe drinking guidelines due to the flaws in the studies they analyzed, such as the misclassification of former or occasional drinkers as abstainers being quite common.[6]
0. “New science suggests drinking in moderation has zero health benefits” Body+Soul, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/new-science-suggests-that-drinking-in-moderation-has-zero-health-benefits/news-story/08cd43789a7a43f73a23716977b7240c
1. “A daily pint or glass of wine doesn't raise the risk of premature death, study suggests” Express, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1754086/alcohol-health-risks-wine-beer
2. “Yet Another Study Suggests Drinking Isn't Good for Your Health” TIME, 31 Mar. 2023, https://time.com/6267540/alcohol-premature-death-risks
3. “Drinking Won't Help You Live Longer — in Fact, It Might Send You to an Early Grave” Everyday Health, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/drinking-wont-help-you-live-longer-in-fact-it-might-send-you-to-an-early-grave/
4. “New research shows even moderate drinking isn't good for your health” Yahoo! Voices, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/gma/research-shows-even-moderate-drinking-182011480.html
5. “What is the association between mean daily alcohol intake and all-cause mortality?” News-Medical.Net, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230404/What-is-the-association-between-mean-daily-alcohol-intake-and-all-cause-mortality.aspx
6. “Moderate alcohol consumption does not increase risk of early death” Earth.com, 1 Apr. 2023, https://www.earth.com/news/moderate-alcohol-consumption-does-not-increase-risk-of-early-death
