Everything in moderation – including alcohol? New research may suggest otherwise.
A study in July 2022 published in The Lancet confirms that for people aged 15 to 39 there is no health benefit to drinking alcohol, only risks.
“While it may not be realistic to think that young adults abstain from drinking, we think it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health,” said Emmanuela Gakidou, MSc, PhD, Senior Author of the study and professor of health metric sciences for the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, said in a press release.
Researchers have followed estimates of alcohol consumption in 204 countries and found that 1.34 billion people consumed harmful quantities of alcohol by 2020 (the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic).
The data include the distribution of causes of disability-adjusted life expectancy (DALYs) for each population along with alcohol consumption patterns from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020. Researchers then estimated the theoretical minimum risk exposure. Level (TMREL) and Non-Drinking Equivalent (NDE) for each region, age group, gender, and year from 1990 to 2020.
The results of the study show that for each region men between 15 and 39 years were the largest segment of the population who drank unsafe quantities of alcohol.
The researchers concluded that drinking alcohol does not offer health benefits but poses significant health risks, with 60% of alcohol-related injuries occurring in people in this age group including suicide, homicides, and motor vehicle accidents.
According to researchers, a standard drink is defined as 10 grams of pure alcohol, equivalent to:
The results of the study show that the amount of alcohol people aged 15 to 39 can consume before risking their health was only 0.136 standard drinks per day, which is a little more than one tenth of a standard drink.
This is slightly higher for females in that age group, at 0.273 drinks or about a quarter of a standard drink per day.
Researchers have found that a small amount of alcohol for those over 40 offers some health benefits to people without underground health conditions.
“At the same time, small amounts of alcohol consumption are associated with improved health outcomes in populations that are primarily at high risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly older adults in many regions of the world,” the study authors wrote.
These benefits include a reduced risk of:
“Health risks from too much alcohol are many,” Moe Gelbart, PhD, director, behavioral health at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in California, told Healthline.
Gelbart explained that depending on the genetics, history and motivation to drink, there is a risk of developing addiction, which comes with all the consequences of alcoholism – including the difficulty in stopping.
“Alcohol is a central nervous depression,” he added. “And even though it is used by some to deal with depression, it is actually a causal factor.”
According to Gelbart, there are also a number of possible physical problems associated with alcohol consumption, including (but not limited to):
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2020-2025 Diet Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults of legal drinking age who choose to drink can do so in moderation, which is defined as 2 drinks per day or less for men and 1 drink per day or less for women on days when alcohol is consumed.
Researchers say existing policy guidelines should be changed to focus on “optimal consumption levels” by age, rather than recommending current practices for different levels by gender.
“Even if a conservative approach is taken and the lowest level of safe consumption is used to set policy recommendations,” lead study author Dana Bryazka, a researcher at IHME, said in a statement. “This implies that the recommended alcohol consumption is still too high for young populations.”
Alcohol content vs. type of drink
“The question is the amount of alcohol in a beverage, and not the beverage itself,” Gelbart stressed. “6 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, and 1. Read also : How Lady Gaga and mother Cynthia Germanotta are promoting mental health in the workplace.5 ounces of vodka / gin / whiskey all have the same amount of alcohol in them.”
He pointed out that some people think it’s not a problem if they ‘just drink beer’, and others think they are OK because they only drink good wine.
“These are myths and forms of denial,” Gelbart added.
“According to the National Institutes of Health, a little more than half of the adults drank in the last month,” said Dr. Rachel Bruce, interim president of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in Queens, New York.
Bruce said about 30% of men and 22% of women engage in binge drinking, which is defined as 5 drinks for men or 4 drinks for women in a 2-hour period.
“Alcohol sales have risen during the pandemic, as have reports of alcohol-related deaths,” Bruce said.
“For a long time, people have justified their alcohol consumption based on vague claims about health benefits,” Bruce said. “That’s not an option anymore.”
She warned that while pleasant, drinking is not good for your health.
“We do all the things we know are bad for us, like eating fatty snacks or not getting enough sleep,” she continued. “If you enjoy drinking, do so in moderation, and be honest with yourself about the risks.”
“If you think drinking is a problem for you or someone you care about, talk to a doctor and get help,” Bruce advised.
According to new research, even moderate alcohol consumption does not offer any health benefits for people under 40. However, older people may experience some benefits including reduced cardiovascular risk.
Experts say people under 40 who drink more than 1 drink a day have more health risks such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease, suggesting that current recommendations for alcohol consumption should be adapted to age rather than gender.
If you or a loved one is drinking potentially unsafe amounts of alcohol, then you want to seek help and support.
