Even moderate drinking isn’t good for your health – a new study reveals

If you think that moderate drinking isn’t harmful, you are wrong. Contrary to what you believe, a new study has found that even moderate drinking can negatively impact your health and increase your risk of early death.

According to researchers, this is one of the largest studies to counter the popular belief that moderate drinking of any kind of alcohol is good for you.

Published in Jama Network Open, the new study found that drinking low levels of alcohol (45 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women) can potentially increase the risk of early death.

What does the study on moderate drinking reveal?

Previously, there have been many studies on alcohol and health, which stated that moderate or light drinking isn’t harmful.

Researchers of the new study, however, reviewed more than a hundred such published studies on deaths and alcohol consumption, involving approximately 5 million research participants, and found that people who had roughly two drinks or less per day did not have a lower risk of premature death. In fact, the mortality rate was still very high.

"Women who drink more are probably at greater risk of premature death than men", according to research

The research also found that women who drink more seem to be at greater risk of early death compared to men. This may be because, on average, women are smaller than men and the same amount of alcohol could affect them more.

Women who drink more seem to be at greater risk of early death. (Photo via Pexels/Photo by Andrea Piacquadio)

What are the major effects of alcohol on the body?

Drinking any kind of alcohol can lead to several short-term and long-term health effects. These include:

• impulsive behavior
• vomiting and nausea
• drowsiness
• slurred speech
• loss of coordination
• changes in vision and hearing
• problems with concentration, focus, and memory
• insomnia or other sleep problems
• anxiety
• changes in mood
• changes in weight

Other than these, drinking alcohol can also cause certain physical effects on the body, such as damage to the circulatory system, endocrine system, digestive system, and central nervous system. Additionally, it can even lead to cancer, high blood pressure, mental health problems, and alcohol dependence.

Is drinking wine safe?

No, even moderate drinking of wine is not good for your health. Despite the belief that wine has some magical properties, the study found that any form of alcohol, including wine, can increase your chances of several health problems and early death.

Moderate drinking of wine is also not safe. (Photo via Pexels/Photo by PhotoMIX Company)

By not drinking, you can potentially reduce the risks of all the aforementioned health conditions and live a happy and healthy life. Now that studies have also found that even moderate drinking is harmful, it is completely up to you to decide whether and how much you should drink.