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. 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. The active ingredient in alcoholic beverages, a simple molecule called ethanol, affects the body in many different ways. It directly influences the stomach, brain, heart, gallbladder, and liver.
- In the United States, both the Federal tax code and the tax codes of individual States specify which beverages are classified as “ beer,” “ wine,” or “distilled spirits” and their alcohol content.
- Drinking too much can take many different forms, so it can be difficult to assess whether alcohol abuse is a problem.
- There may be a more significant difference between people who drink moderately and those who don’t drink at all.
- “I would encourage individuals to be aware of the amount of alcohol they are consuming,” says Dr. Sarah Leitz, an addiction medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Ore.
- This article first reviews considerations relevant to defining a drink.
Does moderate drinking cause cancer?
Katinka has previously been awarded grants by state governments and public funding bodies for alcohol and other drug research. Cancer, which was next largest factor, made up a third of the additional risk of death for men. “Doing it once in a while is very different from drinking regularly,” Kovacs said. “Without that, you’re going to have all these contradictory studies coming out,” Nissen said. The conflicting findings stem from the particular design of alcohol studies, experts said. There are plenty of alcohol alternatives out there for you to explore, even in the crisp white wine category.
Alcohol & Public Health
However, some critics of the above guidelines feel that they’re what is considered drinking in moderation actually too generous given the data we have about the health impacts of alcohol. For instance, in January of 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement saying that no level of alcohol is safe. They share that “risks start from the first drop” and increase with every additional sip of alcohol. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in March 2023 also concluded that not even low to moderate alcohol consumption provided any healthy benefits, despite past research suggesting so. If you are having trouble cutting back on your alcohol use, you might need treatment for alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse. Both inpatient and outpatient treatment is available, and the specific course of treatment depends on your physiology, your level of drinking, and your lifestyle.
- Our commitment to obedience reassures us that we strive to stay on the right path, even when faced with temptation.
- It might not always be easy, but when we lean on the Holy Spirit and our faith, we can develop the strength needed to resist moments of excess.
- 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.
- An Italian review of studies published in the European Journal of Epidemiology found that moderate wine and beer consumption reduced the risk of cardiovascular events, but spirits did not.
- Alcohol consumption has been linked to cancers of the breast, colon and rectum, liver, esophagus, voice box, throat, mouth, and probably the pancreas, according to the American Cancer Society.
Alcohol linked to deaths from cancer, injuries, other causes
This could be due to hormones or differences in the way females metabolize alcohol. For instance, when a woman and a man of the same weight consume the same amount of alcohol, the woman’s blood alcohol concentrations will tend to rise higher, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. A review underway may lead to changes to U.S. guidelines this year. And many experts agree the current advice, which is up to Alcohol Use Disorder 14 drinks a week for men and seven for women, is out of date and may be too high. On the heels of the surgeon general’s warning about the cancer risks of alcohol, there’s a growing consensus that less is better.
Nevertheless, research to date investigating the association between alcohol consumption levels and various diseases has relied primarily on self-reports of alcohol consumption. It is well established that alcohol misuse—including binge drinking and heavy alcohol use—increases the risk of many short- and long-term consequences. These consequences range from accidental injuries to worsened mental and physical health conditions to death.
Drinking in Moderation: What That Means and Why It’s Recommended
When we think about drinking in moderation, it is essential to realize that moderation itself is a concept encouraged in many areas of our lives. As followers of Christ, we are encouraged to exercise self-control in all things. Drinking in moderation is not just a guideline; it’s a way to ensure we stay spiritually grounded and do not let substances lead us away from God’s path. Throughout the Bible, there are verses that remind us to practice moderation and control. When we find balance, we discover a deeper understanding of God’s love and purpose in our lives.
- If you’re looking to cut back on the alcohol, are sober curious, or just want to see your options out there in the world of moderate drinking, we have answers.
- However, it is important to approach these moments with an attitude of gratitude and awareness.
- Interestingly, these differences in the ADH1C gene do not influence the risk of heart disease among people who don’t drink alcohol.
- And our final tip is When you do imbibe, shoot for healthier drinks that help mitigate some of the health impacts of alcohol.
Find healthy ways to manage stress.
Based on this definition, most people who consume alcohol would likely consider themselves moderate drinkers, regardless of the actual alcohol amounts they consume. In addition to the circumstances under which drinking occurs, alcohol’s effects on the drinker (e.g., on the ability to drive a car) depend to a large extent on the blood alcohol levels (BALs) achieved after alcohol consumption. The same number of drinks, however, will result in different BALs in a 150 pound (lb) and a 250 lb person. Even people with identical body weights can achieve different BALs because of variations in the levels of water and fat in the body, which primarily depend on the drinker’s age and gender. Alcohol is a small, water-soluble molecule that is distributed throughout the body water.
