I’ve always been curious about how society views alcohol. There are many mixed messages out there around what amount of alcohol consumption is unhealthy or if some amount is even healthy! I often think that people look for excuses to continue doing what they have always done and tell themselves they are doing something good. In fairness, there were several studies out over the last few decades with conclusions that lead to headlines around increased longevity with some amount of alcohol daily. However, if you were to read the full study, several of them ultimately state that light-to-moderate drinking does not improve health (not the same as longevity) and should not be used as motivation to start drinking if one does not drink alcoholic beverages.

This seems contradictory to me. If there is a study that tells you a certain food is correlated with increased longevity, but then also tells you that you should not start eating that food if you are not already, wouldn’t that make you wonder?

Another popular study that led to headlines of extended life expectancy included ex-drinkers in the category of “abstainers,” which meant they were failing to account for the possibility that some people had stopped drinking specifically because of illness. The moderate drinkers looked healthy by comparison, creating the illusion that a moderate amount of alcohol was beneficial. The devil is always in the details.

If you look at more recent research, it debunks the idea that moderate drinking is good for you. Last year, a major meta-analysis that re-examined 107 studies over 40 years and came to the conclusion that no amount of alcohol improves health; and in 2022, a well-designed study found that consuming even a small amount brought some risk to heart health. That same year, Nature published research stating that consuming as little as one or two drinks a day (even less for women) was associated with shrinkage in the brain — a phenomenon normally associated with aging.

A recent Huberman Lab podcast (regularly ranked as the #1 health podcast in the world) recently discussed the impact of alcohol on health, including the connection between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. He shared that alcohol could cause changes in DNA gene expression, which can lead to various types of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

Huberman mentioned a study that found a 4 to 13% increase in the risk of breast cancer for every 10 grams of alcohol consumed, roughly equivalent to one beer.

Regular alcohol consumption, even as infrequent as once per week, can lead to changes in brain neural circuits related to habitual and impulsive behavior, which also extend to times when one is not drinking. Additionally, chronic consumption of alcohol can result in brain atrophy. There is a near linear relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed regularly and brain atrophy, going as far as to compare alcohol's damage to that caused by smoking cigarettes.

Some counties outside of the US have started to put cancer warnings on alcohol or even revised their guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that alcohol-related deaths in the United States each year have increased. They compared data from 2020-21 with data from 2016-17 and found a rise of 29.3 percent, which they largely attribute to increased drinking during the pandemic.

I can’t write about alcohol without mentioning the social aspects of drinking. Alcohol consumption is a socially and culturally ingrained phenomenon that has been a part of human history for centuries. Social norms and ideas around drinking have shaped the history of many societies. Social capital theory suggests that social networks and connections influence health. Individuals who have higher levels of social support and community cohesion generally are thought to be healthier. In many countries, alcoholic beverages are closely tied to socialization and are seen as an essential part of celebrations and events. In other cultures, drinking is more heavily associated with particular social gatherings, such as sporting events, concerts, or festivals. This makes it more challenging to make reasonable decisions around its consumption. Most people understand the downsides of drinking outside of long-term health risks and addiction. Drinking and driving, mixing with medication, altered behavior, falls, hangovers, etc.. However, alcohol is unusual in that its upside, for most people, is pleasure.

Alcohol is unique in that its consumption also poses a direct risk to others. A person who has three glasses of wine with friends or who has a few beers on a night out may be more likely than someone sober to do harm to those around them. Or more likely to make a split-second decision to turn in front of a car speeding toward them; or not be able to react quick enough to an emergency involving their children once home; or to have unprotected sex.

My goal is not to make anyone feel guilty about their alcohol consumption, but to give you the knowledge to make better decisions around it. Giving up alcohol completely is becoming more popular and it is now more socially acceptable to order a non alcoholic beer or mocktail when out with friends or at a concert or game.

Drink on your own terms and feel good about why you decide to consume alcohol. Just know that no amount of alcohol is “healthy”, “good for you” or will “extend life expectancy”.