Stanford experts discuss the health implications of moderate alcohol consumption and how the guidelines have changed. Some past studies had suggested that moderate drinking might be good facts about moderate drinking for your health. More studies now show that there aren’t health benefits of moderate drinking compared to not drinking. Learn up-to-date facts and statistics on alcohol consumption and its impact in the United States and globally. Explore topics related to alcohol misuse and treatment, underage drinking, the effects of alcohol on the human body, and more.
People Who Shouldn’t Drink At All
If you think you or a loved one may have developed a dependence or AUD from binge drinking, consider reaching out to a physician or therapist for help. While these studies can give researchers an idea about how different habits may affect specific parts of health, they can only establish correlation—not causation. This information on drinking in moderation was adapted from materials from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost help for alcohol misuse. Find a health center near you and ask about alcohol misuse screening and counseling. Doctors can treat it with talk therapy, medicine, or both.
For decades, studies suggested that moderate alcohol intake could protect the heart, reduce diabetes risk or even help you live longer. But newer research tells a different story, and it’s left many people confused. You might think having a few drinks regularly is harmless, but even consuming alcohol in moderation carries some risks. Alcohol blocks the absorption of folate and inactivates folate in the blood and tissues. It’s possible that this interaction may be how alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast, colon, and other cancers.
- Explore how many people ages 18 to 25 engage in alcohol misuse in the United States and the impact it has.
- Moderate drinking sits at the point at which the health benefits of alcohol clearly outweigh the risks.
- You can lower your health risks from alcohol by drinking less or not drinking at all.
- A recent successful effort in the U.S. to launch an international study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Drunk People On Cruise Ships: A Growing Concern
- During pregnancy, drinking alcohol can raise the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature (early) birth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
- When acetaldehyde builds up in the body, it can damage cells throughout the digestive system and beyond.
- You might wonder if there’s a healthy way to drink, how much alcohol consumption is considered moderate, and how much is too much.
- The most frequently cited definition of moderate drinking comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which defines it as consuming one drink a day or fewer for biological women and two or fewer for men.
- The debate still simmers today, with a lively back-and-forth over whether alcohol is good for you or bad for you.
The emphasis here, as elsewhere, is on moderate drinking. However, a prospective study following almost 15,000 men at four-year periods found only an increased risk of minor weight gain with higher intakes of alcohol. 19 Compared to those who did not change their alcohol intake, those who increased their intake by 2 or more drinks a day gained a little more than a half-pound. It was noted that calorie intake (not from alcohol) tended to increase along with alcohol intake. Alcohol interacts in potentially dangerous ways with a variety of medications, including acetaminophen, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, painkillers, and sedatives.
How Else Might Moderate Drinking Affect Health?
Much of the research has focused on red wine, which contains antioxidants called polyphenols. Researchers have found an association between a polyphenol in red wine called resveratrol and a reduced risk of heart disease, primarily due to its anti-inflammatory effects. The benefits and risks of moderate drinking change over a lifetime. In general, risks exceed benefits until middle age, when cardiovascular disease begins to account for an increasingly large share of the burden of disease and death.
Planning ahead can help you manage situations when you might be tempted to drink too much. Think ahead about how to say “no” if someone offers you a drink. Here are some strategies to help you cut back or stop drinking. With so much data and so many variables, public health recommendations concerning alcohol differ around the world.
The most frequently cited definition of moderate drinking comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which defines it as consuming one drink a day or fewer for biological women and two or fewer for men. The agency considers a single drink to be a 12-ounce beer, a 6-ounce glass of wine, 8 ounces of malt liquor, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, the equivalent of a shot. The weekly limit is seven drinks for women and 14 for men. It’s safe to say that alcohol is both a tonic and a poison. Moderate drinking seems to be good for the heart and circulatory system, and probably protects against type 2 diabetes and gallstones.
Understanding alcohol use
Drinking alcohol might put you at risk for personal and health problems. “A lot of people with this genetic variant are aware of some of the visible symptoms, but they don’t know that it means alcohol really puts them at more risk than other people,” Chen said. During pregnancy, it increases the risk of pregnancy loss and of a child having growth and developmental problems in future. People who have had problems with alcohol in the past may want to consult a doctor or therapist for help regulating their behaviors around drinking. The conflicting findings stem from the particular design of alcohol studies, experts said.
Compared with drinking excessively, moderate drinking reduces your risk of negative health effects. Excessive alcohol use is a term used to describe four ways that people drink alcohol that can negatively impact health. Moderate drinking differs between men and women, according to health authorities like the CDC and NIAAA. The effects of alcohol consumption can also differ greatly based on a person’s physical composition, regardless of sex or gender identity. But what’s less clear is the effect that drinking in moderation, specifically, has on cancer risk.
Issues with past studies on moderate alcohol use and health
Keeping track of each drink may help you drink less overall. You can also make notes in your smartphone to keep track of your drinks. Limit milk/dairy (1-2 servings/day) and juice (1 small glass/day). Some legislators have even proposed adding warning labels on alcohol products — similar to those on nicotine products. Chen likes the idea, given that fewer than half of all American are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer. You can take steps to lower your risk of alcohol-related harms.
Depression, anxiety, and mental health
Alcohol use can be a sensitive subject to talk about, but it’s important. Try using these tips to talk with someone about cutting back or quitting drinking. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must cover alcohol misuse screening and counseling. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get these services at no cost to you.
Is Alcoholism Hereditary Or Genetic?
Drinking alcohol in excess can negatively impact your health, including almost every part of your body. High alcohol consumption is not considered safe, and has the potential to damage vital organs, as well as affect your behavior and mood. The internet is full of misinformation about the risks of alcohol intake. And the truth is, everyone may be affected by alcohol differently. But here’s what the experts have to say about drinking in moderation — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and your health.
