Daily alcoholic drink won’t kill you – but one more might: study

Health

By Brooke Kato

March 31, 2023 | 7:09pm

What doesn’t kill you makes you drunker.

A daily drink to unwind may not be a death sentence, but a new study suggests overindulgence could dig you an early grave.

Researchers in Canada have concluded that a daily tipple does not raise the risk of meeting an early grave, but heavy drinkers — or those who consume up to a bottle of alcohol per day — are 61% more likely to die prematurely.

The research, published on the JAMA Open Network on Friday, compiles data from 107 studies on the deadly effects of alcohol, published between 1980 and 2021. All told, their review included 4.8 million participants.

Studies have shown that “moderate” drinkers live longer than abstainers on average, with a lower likelihood of death from heart disease. Though it may seem counterintuitive, study authors suggested that those who avoid alcohol are also more likely to be former drinkers — even heavy drinkers — which may have taken a lifelong toll on their health.

As the pendulum swings, an increased risk of mortality “was evident” as well among the highest consumers, researchers confirmed, with men more likely to be called heavy drinkers than women.

But don’t go toasting to your cheap date just yet. These new results could be sobering for those whose Happy Hour lasts just a little too long.

Debunking the age-old myth that a glass of vino a day will keep the grave away, their analysis further revealed that “low-volume alcohol drinking was not associated with protection against death from all causes.”

Women who rosé all day beware: Ladies who enjoyed two or more drinks per day were at an increased risk of early death — higher than those who abstained entirely from alcohol.

Men, on the other hand, were at a lower risk of mortality when consuming two drinks per day, but their risk began to increase when downing three or more alcoholic beverages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently advises that men limit alcoholic drinks to two daily, while women are recommended to only consume one.

The Distilled Spirits Council, a national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the US, immediately took issue with the study findings Friday.

“The conclusion of this study is not supported by the very data presented in it,” Dr. Amanda Berger, vice president of science and health for the council, said in a statement obtained by The Post.

“The authors’ results demonstrate a ‘J-Curve’ in the relationship between alcohol consumption and all-cause-mortality, which suggests that those who drink in moderation live longer than those who do not.”

The statement continued: “While the findings of this study are consistent with the larger body of evidence around the J-Curve, no one should drink alcohol to obtain potential health benefits and some individuals should not drink at all.”

Experts have previously reported that more than two alcoholic beverages per week could be “damaging” drinkers.

“Research shows that no amount or kind of alcohol is good for your health,” the authors wrote in January’s edict from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. “Drinking alcohol, even a small amount, is damaging to everyone, regardless of age, sex, gender, ethnicity, tolerance for alcohol or lifestyle.”

Over-consumption of alcohol could increase the risk for certain cancers — such as breast, throat, mouth, liver and colon — as well as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and liver disease, per the CDC. The agency also warns that mental health issues and alcohol dependence could occur.

Alcohol flush, a condition in which boozers skin blushes intensely when drinking, isn’t just a loss in the genetic lottery — researchers have suggested it could be a precursor to vascular disease.

Past studies have also suggested alcohol could negatively affect fertility in men when it comes to IVF, while others have concluded that just five drinks per week could accelerate aging.

Their findings conflict results of other research that claimed booze could be good for the brain and combat dementia.