The benefits of moderate drinking aren’t limited to the heart. The emphasis here, as elsewhere, is on moderate drinking. The definition of moderate drinking is something of a balancing act. Moderate drinking sits at the point at which the health benefits of alcohol clearly outweigh the risks.
It’s safe to say that alcohol is both a tonic and a poison. Moderate drinking seems to be good for the heart and circulatory system, and probably protects against type 2 diabetes and gallstones. Heavy drinking is a major cause of preventable death in most countries. In the U.S., alcohol is implicated in about half of fatal traffic accidents.
Shifting Benefits and Risks
If you currently drink no alcohol at all, do not start because of the health benefits. When trying to moderate alcohol intake over the course of an evening or a week, it helps to know how much alcohol is in each drink you consume. Moderate drinking differs between men and women, according to health authorities like the CDC and NIAAA. The effects of alcohol consumption can also differ greatly based on a person’s physical composition, regardless of sex or gender identity. Compared with drinking excessively, moderate drinking reduces your risk of negative health effects.
Drinking too much alcohol too frequently is unhealthy and can lead to liver disease, weight gain, and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol consumption may also play a role in certain mental health conditions, like depression and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. In the past, moderate drinking was thought to be linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and possibly diabetes. After more analysis of the research, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In general, a healthy diet and physical activity have much greater health benefits than alcohol and have been more extensively studied. The benefits and risks of moderate drinking change over a lifetime.
In 2015, 26.9 percent of people in the United States reported binge drinking in the past month. If you think you or a loved one may have developed a dependence or AUD from binge drinking, consider reaching out to a physician or therapist for help. Talk with your doctor right away if you have signs of alcohol use disorder — even if you don’t think they’re causing any problems in your life. In the United States, people younger than age 21 are not legally able to drink alcohol.
Drinking moderately if you’re otherwise healthy may be a is mary jane a drug risk you’re willing to take. But heavy drinking carries a much higher risk even for those without other health concerns. Be sure to ask your healthcare professional about what’s right for your health and safety. The definition of heavy drinking is based on a person’s sex. For women, more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks a week is heavy drinking. For men, heavy drinking means more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks a week.
Possible Health Benefits of Alcohol
You can take steps to lower your risk of alcohol-related harms. Create healthy, balanced meals using this visual guide as a blueprint. Folate, the B vitamin that helps guide the development of an embryo’s spinal cord, has equally important jobs later in life. One of the biggest is helping to build DNA, the molecule that carries the code of life. In this way, folate is essential for liberty caps identification accurate cell division. However, these studies were very limited, and no confirmed conclusion has been reached on the link between menstruation and alcohol absorption.
- More studies now show that there aren’t health benefits of moderate drinking compared to not drinking.
- Expert opinions on safety and levels of alcohol consumption have generally varied over the years, with some studies even citing the potential benefits of an occasional cocktail or glass of wine.
- In this video, Dr. Bobby Lazzara explains the potential benefits of alcohol for your heart and emphasizes the importance of moderation.
- However, it is important to note that many studies making these claims are inconclusive.
The Bottom Line: Balancing Risks and Benefits
For example, many beers are about 5% alcohol, but some have higher percentages of alcohol. And some beers are sold in bigger sizes than the standard 12 ounces. When it comes to alcohol, if you don’t drink, don’t start for health reasons. Heavy drinking also has been linked to intentional injuries, such as suicide, as well as accidental injury and death. Limit milk/dairy (1-2 servings/day) and juice (1 small glass/day).
The bottom line is that alcohol is potentially addictive, can cause intoxication, and contributes to health problems and preventable deaths. If you already drink at low levels and continue to drink, risks for these issues appear to be low. Many people drink alcohol as a personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices. People who choose not to drink make that choice for the same reasons.
Even moderate drinking may raise your risk for some types of heart disease and cancer. For example, the risk of breast cancer increases even at low levels of drinking (for example, less than 1 drink blood alcohol content (bac) depends on in a day). It’s long been known that alcohol reduces the amygdala’s reactivity to threatening stimuli while individuals are drinking. While light/moderate drinkers lowered their risk for cardiovascular disease, the study also showed that any amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer.