It was nice to have a wine pair for dinner. I like to have a drink or two, although rarely more. I have seen the dire consequences of alcohol use disorder and know the risks. I think my drinking is "moderate" and relatively modest.
Ten years ago, scientists and public health experts agreed with me. Within the scope of public health guidelines in most countries, one or two drinks a day is safe, and studies have even shown that drinking small amounts of alcohol can prevent cardiovascular disease.
But earlier this year, the World Health Organization said that any amount of alcohol is dangerous. "There is no safe dose that does not affect health," the organization declared. "Canadian authorities have redefined moderate-risk drinking as three to six drinks per week, below the level of two drinks a day for women and three drinks a day for men. The U.S. now recommends that women drink one glass a day (i.e., 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.).5 ounces of spirits), men drink two drinks a day.
Stockwell, a psychologist at the University of Victoria, a former director of the Canadian Institute for Drug Use, said previous health advice was to prevent people from becoming alcoholics. For 25 years, he has helped develop guidelines for three countries. It's not so much about how you protect your body from cancer, liver disease, or losing months or even years of life expectancy.
A growing body of research now shows that any alcohol increases the odds of premature death from a variety of causes. About half of all cases of liver disease are attributed to alcohol consumption. Alcohol is also a potent carcinogen. It causes cancer because it breaks down in the body to form a compound called acetaldehyde, which destroys DNA. This damage can lead to at least seven types of cancer. Fifteen percent of breast cancers are alcohol-related. According to the World Health Organization, half of all alcohol-related cancers in Europe are caused by "mild" or "moderate" alcohol consumption.
These risks appear to neutralize the evidence for the cardiovascular benefits of alcohol, but this evidence is weakened when researchers conduct more detailed studies. The theory of cardioprotection is based on the idea that moderate drinkers have better cardiovascular health than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. But the studies grouped together all people who didn't drink alcohol, including those who quit drinking due to substance use problems or illnesses. As a result, "moderate" drinkers look relatively unhealthy, while "moderate" drinkers (many of whom exercise and eat well) also look good.
Hartz, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis, said: "The fundamental question is who is in the comparison group. In 2018, when Hartz and his colleagues compared thousands of moderate and very light drinkers (one or two drinks a week), the advantage of moderate drinking essentially disappeared. Other studies have yielded similar results. In 2022, the World Heart Federation said that alcohol does not protect people.
Nonetheless, the increased risk for light and moderate drinkers must be considered in context. Canadian guidelines estimate that for people who drink two drinks a week, one in every 1,000 people dies from alcohol. In people who drank six cups a week, this risk increased to one percent. People take similar risks every day. The odds of a person dying in a car accident are 1 in 93, but we still drive. We even went skydiving. "We chose these things because we wanted to do them regardless of the known risks," Hartz said. This is where alcohol needs to be grouped into one category. ”
It's a personal choice. For people with alcohol use disorder, abstaining from alcohol is an option. People have been getting pleasure from alcohol for a long time. I was one of them, although my definition of "moderation" has changed as the guidelines have changed. I realized that wine was not to be drunk, so I cut my consumption in half. But for me, it's worth the risk to have a drink once in a while.