Rethinking Drinking: Do the Benefits of Alcohol Outweigh the Risks?
Moderate alcohol consumption has been linked with a longer life. But new research questions the benefits of even moderate drinking. What’s the right amount for you?
For decades we’ve been hearing about the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. Drinking a lot of alcohol is obviously not good for you. But some analyses show that people who drink a little alcohol seem to live longer and be healthier than those who don’t drink at all.
The Correlation Between Alcohol and Longevity
There are several possible explanations for this. The correlation between moderate alcohol consumption and longevity might have nothing to do with alcohol. It could be that people who drink moderately tend to have healthier diets and lifestyles than those who don’t drink at all. The higher death rate among teetotalers could simply reflect that people who are in poor health (and therefore more likely to die younger) are also less likely to drink.
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Another possibility is that small amounts of alcohol might have beneficial effects on the body. For example, alcohol reduces the tendency of blood to form clots, which might reduce the risk of stroke.
As a society, we seem to have latched onto this idea that small amounts of alcohol are actually beneficial. This perception is helped along by the alcohol industry, which funds research designed to show that drinking is both safe and beneficial. Moderate alcohol consumption is often listed as a feature of healthy dietary patterns, such as the vaunted Mediterranean Diet.
But have we just been telling ourselves what we want to hear?
A new meta-analysis, comparing drinking patterns and life expectancy of more than half a million people from 19 different countries, finds that anything over 5 drinks a week is linked with shorter life expectancy and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
What Is “Moderate” Drinking?
The definition of “moderate” alcohol consumption differs from country to country, suggesting that cultural norms and attitudes about alcohol may play at least as much a role as actual data. Here in the U.S., for example, we define moderate consumption as one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. Sweden sets the bar lower, France quite a bit higher. According to this latest analysis, however, all of these recommended limits could still put you at increased risk.
The only way to reduce your risk of alcohol-related harm to zero is to reduce your consumption to zero. But remember that risk is merely an expression of statistical probability. It does not predict the future. Some people who don’t drink at all will die younger than some people who drink way too much. The real question that each of us needs to answer is whether the benefits of drinking alcohol outweigh the risks.
Let’s be clear: We don’t need to drink alcohol to keep our hearts healthy. Foods like ginger, garlic, and oily fish have the same or better blood-thinning effects as alcohol. And you can get all of the beneficial antioxidants and polyphenols that you’d get from red wine by drinking a shot of grape or pomegranate juice.
If you enjoy the flavor of alcoholic beverages, or the pleasant sensations that accompany the alcohol-triggered release of endorphins, or the social aspects of sharing a drink in good company, those could be counted as benefits. If you’re enjoying those benefits to the tune of five or fewer drinks a week, you’re at very low risk. If your consumption is between five and ten drinks per week, you are at slightly higher risk, but that might be a risk that you’re willing to accept in exchange for those benefits. The more you drink, of course, the fewer the benefits and the higher your risk. Once you’re above ten drinks a week, the risks start to climb rather exponentially.
I think it’s also important to recognize that simply counting drinks per week can give us an incomplete or distorted picture. Mary drinks one glass of wine with dinner every night. Joe doesn’t drink all week but goes out on Saturday and has five beers. Statistically speaking, Joe is in a lower risk category than Mary. But there’s little doubt that Mary’s drinking pattern is safer than Joe’s.
Let’s be clear: We don’t need to drink alcohol to keep our hearts healthy.
There’s also the sobering fact that alcohol can be addictive. The more often you drink, the more susceptible you are to its habit-forming nature. Having a drink increases your desire to have another and at the same time impairs your ability to judge whether or not that’s a good idea. One drink a day can quickly lead to two or three or, before you know it, five. Because it is so widely consumed and accepted in our society, excessive drinking can seem quite normal.
If you frequently have more than three drinks in a day or more than ten drinks in a week, or you repeatedly try but fail to change your drinking patterns, it’s a sign that your drinking may be out of control. Even if you feel that your drinking is not a problem, taking a 30-day break from all drinking can be a very helpful way to reset your habits and reassess the impact of alcohol on your life, health, relationships, wallet, and waistline. (And the more unthinkable that is, the more you might want to seriously consider doing it.) Some people discover that they actually enjoy life more without the “benefits” of alcohol. Others simply find that it’s much easier not to drink at all than to drink just a little.
The Bottom Line on Alcohol and Longevity
Risk and moderation are both subjective and relative. Whether we’re talking about alcohol or red meat or roller coasters, each of us is likely to assess the benefits and the risks differently. For many people, alcoholic beverages can fit into a healthy lifestyle. But I think it’s time to stop promoting the questionable health benefits of alcohol and start being more honest about its costs.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? I’d love to hear from you. Post your comments below or on the Nutrition Diva Facebook page. Image of liquor bottles © Shutterstock
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About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
