There are few scientific links between moderate alcohol consumption and health benefits or longevity, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Researchers at the University of Victoria (Canada) performed a meta-analysis to understand whether moderate alcohol consumption could really have beneficial effects on health. Scientists studied the methods and findings of 87 studies discussing the benefits of moderate intake ofalcohol.
The majority of studies use, according to the researchers, a methodology which skews the results. They found that more often than not, studies compare moderate drinkers (about 2 drinks per day) with total abstinence fromalcohol, but without excluding people in poor health who can no longer drink alcohol. Once the method of calculation is changed, alcohol no longer provides any health benefit. “Moderate drinkers lose any health advantage over true abstainers. The 13 studies that did take this confounding factor into account, i.e. the total cessation ofalcohol for health reasons, do not reveal any benefit associated with moderate consumption, ”explain the authors of the study.
No scientific or biological reasons
Researchers have found that it is people who drink infrequently who display better health and a longer lifespan. “It is unlikely that such a low consumption can explain or participate in longevity and it is rather a set of lifestyle factors indirectly associated with this low consumption that brings this effect”. explain the authors of the study. “Indeed, below one glass per week, the dose is biologically insignificant”. Scientists conclude that moderate drinking is mostly associated with a balanced life, Healthy eating and the practice of a sporting activity, which are factors of good health and longevity.
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