a new Canadian study 4.8 million out of 4.8 million people are less likely to die prematurely from drinking alcoholic beverages every day, even if it’s organic red wine, and don’t get the health benefits touted in previous studies said.
Mortality rates for light and moderate drinkers are similar to those for complete abstainers, explain researchers at the Canadian Institute of Substance Use. On the other hand, women who enjoy two or more standard beverages a day have at least a 20% chance of dying prematurely.
“In this most recent systematic review and meta-analysis, daily light or moderate alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality risk,” the study authors wrote. female than male. ”
The study, published Friday in the medical journal JAMA Open Network, said Canadians should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages per week to minimize health problems, according to the Canadian Center on Substance Use. and Addiction (CCSA) report. Risks associated with alcohol.
Principal investigator Dr. Jinhui Zhao and co-authors explored the link between alcohol and all causes of death, including the theory advanced by previous studies that small amounts of alcohol are beneficial to health and that “moderate drinkers” live longer. I wanted to better understand the relevance. They are also less likely to die of heart disease than those who do not drink.
They reviewed 107 studies involving 4.8 million people between 1980 and 2021 and found that drinking more than one standard drink a day significantly increased the risk of premature death, especially among women. I discovered that
In Canada, a standard drink is defined as a 341ml bottle of 5% alcohol beer or cider, a 142ml glass of 12% alcohol wine, or a 43ml shot glass of 40% alcohol spirits. Each standard drink contains 13.45 grams of pure alcohol.
“There was a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality among female drinkers who drank more than 25 grams per day and male drinkers who drank more than 45 grams per day,” the authors wrote. was not associated with protection against death from any cause.”
An examination of previous studies suggesting that people who drink lightly have lower rates of premature death and death from heart disease than those who never drink, finds that the evidence is skewed by systemic biases. I was.
“For example, light and moderate drinkers were significantly more likely than current abstainers in a variety of health indicators unlikely to be related to alcohol use (such as dental hygiene, exercise habits, diet, weight (and) income). systematically healthier than the United States,” they wrote.
Abstainers, on the other hand, are statistically more likely to have poor health, as many have had to stop drinking for health reasons, or never started drinking in the first place. found that most of the studies reviewed were overrepresentative of older white men in their data, and could not explain the experiences of women, racialized people, and people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. It was not.
When Zhao and his colleagues adjusted the data to account for these variables, they found no evidence that drinking light or moderate amounts of alcohol positively affects life expectancy or heart health. bottom.
“Our meta-analysis found no significant protective associations between occasional or moderate drinking and all-cause mortality, and found an increased risk of all-cause mortality in drinkers of 25 g or more. ,” the authors conclude.
“Future longitudinal studies in this area will benefit from lifelong We should try to minimize the selection bias of
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, the following resources may be helpful.
- Hope for Wellness Helpline for Indigenous Peoples (English, French, Cree, Ojibwei, Inuktitut): 1-855-242-3310
- Wellness Together Canada: 1-866-585-0445
- Drug Rehab Services: 1-877-254-3348
- Smart recovery: meeting.smartrecovery.org/meetings/
- Family for Addiction Recovery: 1-855-377-6677
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
