Pro & Con Alcohol Myths Debunked?

Cheers! A new study suggests “A Little Alcohol Won’t Kill You, at least, any sooner than people who never drank at all.” Yet, it also debunks the notion of some 100-Somethings that a shot a day keeps the doctor away.

As the WSJ coverage notes, researchers who published their study in the journal JAMA Network Open had set out “to make sense of years of conflicting evidence on alcohol’s effect on health. Some research suggested that drinking alcohol improves life expectancy. Other studies demonstrated poorer health outcomes at any level of drinking.” In this latest study though, “the findings suggest the average man can drink up to about three drinks a day & expect to live as long as nondrinkers. Women might want to stop at about two drinks.”

The still bad news: The new study “joins a body of evidence that alcohol [can do] more harm than good. In fact, alcohol is linked to more than 200 diseases. And, of course, genetic pre-disposition to disease if not addiction must be taken into account by individuals knowing their family’s as well as own history. Amanda Berger, a VP at Distilled Spirits Council of the US, said alcohol is a lifestyle choice with risks & benefits. “Alcohol can be a part of a balanced diet for most adults,” she said. Right. I’ll drink to that. Just so long as you don’t bite the bullet, er, apple, too many times a day.

Davd Soul