A new study published in The Lancet says that there is no “safe” level of alcohol consumption and on a global scale, alcohol isn’t good for us. But as a post on Forbes.com points out, there’s more to the story.
The study is helpful in changing the way recommendations are made, but doesn’t suggest that abstaining is the only healthy option.
For the study, the team analysed data from 694 studies and created more accurate estimates of alcohol use patterns than past studies had. They re-examined 592 studies that included 28 million people around the world to look at 23 different health outcomes and linked alcohol consumption with these outcomes.
Researchers found that alcohol use was responsible for more than 2% of all fatalities in women and just under 7% of deaths in men.
Despite the health risks, alcohol isn’t without its benefits. For example for ischemic heart disease, there was a J-shaped curve. In other words risk fell slightly with a small amount of alcohol consumption compared to abstinence.
People who drank also had less risk of developing heart disease and there were also benefits for stroke and diabetes risks but seems moderation is the key.