Moderate Drinking Is Not Healthy

A new more rigorous study dispels
the popular notion that moderate
drinking improves longevity

 

Numerous scientific reports over the years have stated that moderate drinking is healthier than abstaining from alcohol. Large statistical studies apparently have proved this, and the notion has become a truism in popular culture. “Probably everyone has heard the conventional wisdom that a glass of wine a day is good for you—or you’ve heard some variation of it,” says Amy Norton in her summary of a new study that debunks this idea. “The problem is that it’s based on flawed scientific research,” she adds.

The history of science is littered with cases where sloppy research methods led to false conclusions. This is another one.

Study debunks link between moderate drinking and longer life (25 July 2024, Phys.org). According to a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, one cannot assume that moderate drinking will improve your health and give you longer life.

Here’s the bottom line from Tim Stockwell at the end of the article. Read this, and then look at his reasons:

In reality, he said, moderate drinking likely does not extend people’s lives—and, in fact, carries some potential health hazards, including increased risks of certain cancers. That’s why no major health organization has ever established a risk-free level of alcohol consumption.

“There is simply no completely ‘safe’ level of drinking,” Stockwell said.

But what about the French, who consume their daily glass of wine and seem to avoid American health problems?

The notion that moderate drinking leads to a longer, healthier life goes back decades. As an example, Stockwell pointed to the “French paradox”—the idea, popularized in the 1990s, that red wine helps explain why the French enjoy relatively low rates of heart disease, despite a rich, fatty diet. That view of alcohol as an elixir still seems to be “ingrained” in the public imagination, Stockwell noted.

The Research

Why, then, are Stockwell and six colleagues disputing this conventional wisdom?

Basically, the studies finding that moderate drinking is healthy used flawed statistical methods. The researchers did not compare groups rigorously. When essential factors are taken into account, the alleged benefits of moderate drinking disappear. Norton writes,

The major issue: Those studies have generally focused on older adults and failed to account for people’s lifetime drinking habits. So moderate drinkers were compared with “abstainer” and “occasional drinker” groups that included some older adults who had quit or cut down on drinking because they’d developed any number of health conditions.

“That makes people who continue to drink look much healthier by comparison,” Stockwell said.

Stockwell’s team re-evaluated the methods used in 107 studies on light to moderate drinking. Only “lower quality” studies found a link between moderate drinking and increased longevity. That notion disappeared in all the “higher quality” studies. Details can be read in the Phys.org summary and in the open-access research paper in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Update 7/25/24: Michael LePage at New Scientist reported on this paper the day after we did. He obtained this notable quote from Stockwell:

“People need to be sceptical of the claims that the industry has fuelled over the years,” says Tim Stockwell at the University of Victoria in Canada. “They obviously have a great stake in promoting their product as something that’s going to make you live longer as opposed to one that will give you cancer.”

While the risks of moderate drinking are small, people should be told that it isn’t beneficial, says Stockwell. “It’s maybe not as risky as lots of other things you do, but it’s important that consumers are aware,” he says. “I think it’s also important that the producers are made to inform consumers of the risks through warning labels.”

This is not to say that alcohol is the only unhealthy substance one can imbibe. Some non-alcoholic drinks are not healthy, too, but notably, there is no federal agency called “Cola, Tobacco and Firearms.” Only alcoholic beverages alone are singled out as needing policing.

We are not trying to spoil anyone’s pleasure if they like to drink alcohol in moderation. We are not advocating prohibition. Certainly the Bible gives liberty on such matters, and in historical fact, wine was commonly drunk in ancient times before refrigeration. The Bible, however, condemns drunkenness, we all know (e.g., Ephesians 5:18, Proverbs 23:29-35).

The main lesson of this article is that flawed scientific methods can lead to false notions that can be spread through public consciousness. This is one; there are many others, such as the notion that dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago by an asteroid.

Science rarely if ever “proves” something to be true. It can only state what is likely to be true based on current best practices. But best practices can change. Science is only tentative.

On a personal note, I would like to make a gentle non-judgmental case for abstinence. Alcohol is not a food; it is a molecule that is not digested but goes right into the bloodstream and affects the brain. As everyone knows, at a certain level of blood alcohol, one’s judgment becomes impaired, and activities like driving become dangerous. The ever-present reports of innocent persons killed by drunk drivers can bring tears to the eyes of anyone with a heart for families whose loved ones were needlessly and senselessly killed. Often it is the drunk driver who survives. I can’t tell you how many news stories I have read about whole families killed by a single drunk driver. Imagine having to live with yourself if you had caused a tragedy like that by taking one drink too many. Here’s a mother this week that lost her son and daughter to an illegal alien from Honduras with blood alcohol 7 times the legal limit.

Not everyone who drinks in moderation becomes an alcoholic, certainly. But anyone who has lived with an alcoholic parent or family member knows the heartache and pain that results. Donald Trump chose to be a teetotaler, because he watched his brother die young from horrible consequences of alcohol. His brother made him promise he would not follow his bad example. As we see in this presidential campaign year, Trump has exceptional stamina and presence of mind at age 78. This is not to say that every non-drinker is healthy, or every moderate drinker suffers mental lapses. But statistically, all things considered, alcohol adds an unnecessary risk. “There is simply no completely ‘safe’ level of drinking,” Stockwell said.

Every alcoholic started with that first drink. Since it is so difficult to get sober from an addiction, why risk imbibing in substances that can do that to a person? I know that I need all the mental sobriety I can get! I could never get done all the research and writing it takes for CEH if I indulged in alcohol, even though it would not be sinful to do so. Yes, I grew up in a strict Christian household, but when I came of age, I made a conscious choice to avoid alcohol. I am very grateful that I did. I don’t need it; I don’t want it, and I am very happy with that decision.

There are dozens of non-alcoholic drinks out there. Just walk the beverage aisle in any grocery store: juices, flavored waters, milks, hot chocolate, sparkling waters, and sodas galore with a spectrum of flavors. Tea and coffee have caffeine, yes, but they do not lead to impaired judgment like alcohol does, and the science goes back and forth on whether they are healthy. Most studies I have seen do not call caffeinated drinks unhealthy. Of course, anything in excess can be bad. Even drinking too much water can lead to death!

Why is it that in most grocery stores, alcoholic beverages are in a different aisle, and require proof of age to buy? Think about it.

If you decide to avoid alcohol, you will never miss anything good. There are pleasures galore in non-alcoholic foods and beverages. You can even buy sparkling non-alcoholic drinks like Martinelli’s for toasts, weddings and parties. People will generally not look down on you if you say, “Thanks, but I don’t drink.” The bartender at the office party will serve you water or any other non-alcoholic drink you ask for. (On that note, when you are a host, I think it courteous to not pressure non-drinkers to join in a toast without offering alternatives.)

A good rule to guide decisions can be stated thus: if it is unnecessary, and if it could be harmful, wisdom leans in the direction of abstinence. You don’t need to be a party pooper or deny yourself pleasures. Just look for healthy pleasures elsewhere. That’s my advice. And I’m not alone. My MD uncle once stated that half of the problems he encountered in the hospital were due to alcohol and tobacco. By avoiding those two things, I just increased my odds of health by 50%.

You are free to have another opinion. I Timothy 4:4-5 says, “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” You can argue that God created grapes that after being picked undergo fermentation, yielding ethyl alcohol. But he also created fruits that if eaten to excess can make one sick. Some Bible scholars speculate that fermentation and plant poisons arose after the Fall, or after the Flood, or both, so I’m not convinced the argument that God created alcohol comes from sound exegesis. Yes, there are verses like Psalm 104:15 that praise the pleasure of wine, and describe wine as part of Biblical feasts in both Old and New Testaments (e.g., new wine in new wineskins, Mark 2:22). Jesus turned water into wine, didn’t he? One must be careful, though, to understand the context and definitions of words in the original languages, and remember that without refrigeration, some degree of fermentation was unavoidable before the 20th century.

One thing the Bible makes clear: getting drunk is debauchery. I suggest that trying to see how close you can get to a cliff is not wise. Today we have refrigeration and Pasteurization, so the decision to indulge in alcoholic beverages is merely a preference, not an unavoidable fact of life. Fresh grapes are delicious! And cold grape juice is one of my favorite drinks. If you have told friends that moderate drinking of alcohol makes you healthy, this new study takes away that rationalization. In my opinion, you can be joyfully happy with numerous righteous pleasures—and save a lot of money—by choosing a lifestyle free of alcohol. That has been my experience, FWIW. I hope these comments are helpful.