According to a federal assessment published Tuesday, consuming just one alcoholic beverage per day is associated with several detrimental health repercussions.
The results, which are applicable to both men and women, linked daily drinking to a decreased risk of ischemic stroke but an increased risk of liver cirrhosis, several malignancies, and injuries. However, occasional binge drinking negates that seeming protection.
According to Stanford University psychiatry professor Keith Humphreys, “the idea that you are, on average, going to be healthier and longer-lived by drinking a drink a day if you’re a woman, or two drinks a day if you’re a man, is not true.”
“It’s not helpful at any level,” he stated. “It doesn’t appear to be entirely risk-free at any level.”
It is the second of two studies on alcohol from a panel inside the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the first, which was conducted by a committee at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published last month, moderate drinking was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer but a decreased chance of death from heart disease and death from any cause.
The government commissioned both studies in advance of this year’s revision of the federal dietary guidelines, which may include new suggestions about alcohol intake.
According to Humphreys, the recommendations’ suggested alcohol intake has to be reevaluated. As of right now, they advise ladies to restrict their daily alcohol intake to one drink, while men should limit theirs to two.
The latest study was challenged by the alcohol industry.
“Today’s report is the product of a flawed, opaque, and unprecedented process, rife with bias and conflicts of interest,” a statement issued by 23 industry-affiliated trade groups said.
“This report heightens our concerns that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendations with respect to alcohol will not be based on a preponderance of sound scientific evidence,” added the statement.
56 systematic reviews on the connection between alcohol and health were examined in the new report.
According to the authors, Americans who consume more than seven drinks per week or at least one drink per day run a 1 in 1,000 chance of passing away. If they consume more than nine drinks each week, the risk increases to 1 in 100.
According to the findings, those who consume alcohol had a greater chance of dying from seven different forms of cancer, including colorectal, breast, liver, and numerous malignancies of the mouth and throat.
This month, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated that because to that connection, alcoholic beverages ought to be labeled with a cancer risk warning.
Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, stated, “It is evident to me that there is a correlation with cancer and that there is no alcohol dosage that reduces the risk of cancer.”
The study also revealed that among adolescents and young people aged 15 to 20, the risk of alcohol-related fatality increased with alcohol use, primarily as a result of injuries or auto accidents. In this age range, occurrences involving alcohol were a leading cause of mortality.
After a 30-day public comment period, the report will be sent to Congress.
The new dietary guidelines are anticipated to be issued by the end of the year, and both reports will assist the Agriculture Department and the Department of Health and Human Services in finalizing them.
“One of the things I advise my patients to do for their health is to avoid drinking alcohol,” Tawakol stated. “Don’t start drinking to improve your health if you’re already not drinking.”
“Aside from drinking, there are numerous ways to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,” stated Jane Figueiredo, a cancer epidemiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “It’s crucial to consider the big picture, the risks and rewards for your overall health, mental health, and well-being.”
CORRECTION (1:00 PM ET on January 15, 2025): The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report was misrepresented in an earlier version of this article. It is not a government report, although it was commissioned by the government.
