For the review, researchers pulled from 694 data sources, profiling who and how much those in a global population were drinking, and from 592 studies looking at the relationship between alcohol and disease. They found that 2.8 million deaths were attributed to alcohol use in 2016. If you drink alcohol, you probably want to take a moment now to mention that previous studies have shown imbibing in moderation is good for your heart. The French live long, healthy lives because of wine! you say. Guess what: the new Lancet study found that drinking alcohol was minimally helpful for stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, but when taken in the context of other causes of death — such as cancer and car accidents — the risks outweighed the small potential benefit. RELATED: This Is Your Heart on Alcohol
A Closer Look at How Researchers Studied the Health Effects of Alcohol
This study looked at risk of death in a different way, says the lead author, Max Griswold, a research scientist at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle. Whereas past research used all-cause mortality (or death from any cause) as a measure, “we looked for the risks that are related to alcohol in some way, both good and bad — and only those things,” he says. In other words, someone who died from a health condition like blindness, or a freak accident, would be excluded from the data. “We then wanted to know in what context was alcohol helpful or hurtful. We found that no matter what context or how much someone was drinking, it was harmful for health,” he says. The researchers note that their study did have limitations. For example, they used alcohol sales data, which may not give the full picture of consumption, though they did try to adjust for this. Some data, like car accidents due to alcohol consumption, were only available in the United States, while other data, like violence due to alcohol consumption, wasn’t available at all. That said, “We think that this is probably the most well controlled study out there when it comes to alcohol use,” says Griswold. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that a safe level of consumption is one drink per day for women and two for men. (According to the CDC, that’s a 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.) But Griswold says his study shows that the problems start near this one-drink-per-day limit. The study looked at drinking on a population level and on a global scale — not at effects on individuals. Note that you should talk to your doctor to make the choices that are best for your health. For some people, even the CDC’s one-drink minimum may not be safe. (In other words, no health advice is one-size-fits-all.) As for the idea that alcohol may be healthy in moderation? A study published in March 2017 in the journal BMJ looked at nearly 2 million adults and found that nondrinkers were more at risk for heart conditions such as stroke, heart disease, heart failure, and peripheral arterial disease compared with moderate drinkers. And a meta-analysis of 38 studies, published in September 2015 in Diabetes Care, found that moderate drinking was associated with a reduction of diabetes by as much as 18 percent compared with abstaining — particularly for women. Yet other research backs up Griswold’s not-so-great news about booze. A study published in April 2018 in The Lancet concluded that those who drank 100 to 200 grams of alcohol per week (one to two drinks a day) had a six-month lower life expectancy compared with those who drank 0 to 100 grams weekly (those who drank one or fewer drinks per day). “There is a lot of confusion when it comes to alcohol consumption and health,” says Griswold. “It’s clear that alcohol is a toxic chemical that harms your body,” he says. RELATED: 14 Drinking Quotes to Remember if You Love Alcohol a Little Too Much
How to Develop a Healthier Relationship With Alcohol
If your goal is to drink less, there are ways to do it, says Michael Levy, PhD, a psychologist based in Delray Beach, Florida, and the author of Take Control of Your Drinking and You May Not Need to Quit. Here’s how. Incorporate “skip days” in your schedule. It’s easy to get into a habit of pouring yourself a drink when you get home from a hard day at a 9-to-5 job. Declare one or two days a week “nondrinking days.” “Tell yourself you will not drink for ‘this evening’ or for just a few hours. Breaking down not drinking into small manageable units is much easier than promising yourself you won’t do it for the next two days,” says Dr. Levy. Make an effort to reach for water. Don’t quench your thirst with alcohol. If you’re thirsty, have a nonalcoholic drink like water. Otherwise, it’s too easy to knock it back quickly. Order a nonalcoholic drink as a side. “Whenever I go out, I order a glass of wine and a club soda with lime. Having both drinks in front of me allows me to take more time to finish both and reduces my chances of drinking too much,” says Shilpi Agarwal, MD, a family medicine physician in Washington, DC, who regularly counsels patients on alcohol use. Wait on that drink until dinner. Rather than coming home and pouring a glass of wine, wait until dinner. Stalling that first drink will automatically lessen the amount you consume, says Levy. “So many people tell me that after dinner, they’re done,” he says. This is a good trick to get yourself to stick to one and not go back for another pour. Use a mixer when drinking liquor. Rather than making a drink with 1.5 ounces of liquor, use 1 ounce and add more mixer. Use a small wineglass and pour a short drink. And measure at least a couple of times to get an eyeball of what a true shot or glass of wine looks like. RELATED: What Is Alcoholism, and What Are Its Signs and Symptoms? Savor your drink rather than downing it. Most people drink because they like the experience. Try to extend the time it takes you to have a drink to 45 minutes to an hour, rather than gulping it in 20 minutes. “Take the time to truly enjoy it,” says Levy. Think about why you’re drinking in the first place. Is it to “take the edge off” or “relieve frustration”? “These are signs that other underlying issues, like anxiety or stress, are getting to you and you should consider something that will treat it, like exercise, meditation, or visiting with your doctor,” says Dr. Agarwal. Alcohol doesn’t actually help relieve stress, but can exacerbate anxiety and lead to poor sleep, she adds.
