How Does Drinking Alcohol Affect Your Health?
2025-01-13
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1Past research suggested drinking alcohol in moderate amounts could be good for the heart.
2But a growing number of public health experts now advise people to limit alcohol intake as much as possible to improve health.
3One of those experts is Dr. Timothy Naimi.
4He is with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.
5Naimi told The Associated Press, "Drinking less is a great way to be healthier."
6Earlier this month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for changing his agency's existing health warning on alcoholic drinks to include cancer risks.
7Such a change would require approval from Congress.
8The Surgeon General's proposed change is linked to research suggesting that drinking alcohol raises the risk of several types of cancer - including colon, liver, breast, mouth and throat.
9Alcohol breaks down in the body into a substance called acetaldehyde.
10This chemical can damage cells and stop them from repairing themselves.
11The process can create conditions for cancer to grow.
12Naimi said estimates show thousands of U.S. deaths could be prevented each year if people followed government dietary guidelines on drinking alcohol.
13The guidelines advise men to limit themselves to two drinks or fewer per day and women to one drink or fewer per day.
14An example of one drink would be equal to one 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or one serving of liquor.
15U.S. Surgeon General Murthy noted there are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases in the United States each year.
16And, about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths are reported yearly.
17"As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk," Murthy wrote on the social media service X.
18Medical experts say the idea that moderate drinking can cause health improvements, or benefits, came from imperfect studies.
19The research compared groups of people based on how much they drank, with amounts usually measured at only one point in time.
20Since some earlier studies did not follow rules about what groups were measured, researchers say they did not effectively prove cause and effect.
21Naimi said people who report drinking moderately generally have higher levels of education, higher earnings and better resources for health care.
22He explained that when those elements are considered, "The benefits tend to disappear."
23Another problem, Naimi noted, was that most studies did not include younger people.
24Almost half of people who die from alcohol-related causes do so before the age of 50.
25Naimi said the studied groups did not effectively represent all drinkers.
26This likely created "an appearance" of a benefit for moderate drinkers that is not real, he added.
27Health guidelines related to alcohol intake have wide differences from country to country.
28But the overall message today is that drinking less is better for health.
29Britain, France, Denmark, Holland and Australia recently examined new evidence and lowered their guidelines for safe amounts of alcohol.
30Ireland plans to begin requiring cancer warnings on alcohol containers starting in 2026.
31Carina Ferreira-Borges is an adviser on alcohol for the World Health Organization in Europe.
32She said scientists had changed their minds from earlier research.
33This is because more recent studies suggest drinking alcohol is linked "to over 200 health conditions, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and injuries."
34Naimi said, "The simple message that's best supported by the evidence is that, if you drink, less is better when it comes to health."
35I'm Andrew Smith.
1Past research suggested drinking alcohol in moderate amounts could be good for the heart. But a growing number of public health experts now advise people to limit alcohol intake as much as possible to improve health. 2One of those experts is Dr. Timothy Naimi. He is with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Naimi told The Associated Press, "Drinking less is a great way to be healthier." 3Earlier this month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for changing his agency's existing health warning on alcoholic drinks to include cancer risks. Such a change would require approval from Congress. 4What is the harm in drinking alcohol? 5The Surgeon General's proposed change is linked to research suggesting that drinking alcohol raises the risk of several types of cancer - including colon, liver, breast, mouth and throat. 6Alcohol breaks down in the body into a substance called acetaldehyde. This chemical can damage cells and stop them from repairing themselves. The process can create conditions for cancer to grow. 7Naimi said estimates show thousands of U.S. deaths could be prevented each year if people followed government dietary guidelines on drinking alcohol. The guidelines advise men to limit themselves to two drinks or fewer per day and women to one drink or fewer per day. An example of one drink would be equal to one 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or one serving of liquor. 8U.S. Surgeon General Murthy noted there are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases in the United States each year. And, about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths are reported yearly. "As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk," Murthy wrote on the social media service X. 9What about limited drinking? 10Medical experts say the idea that moderate drinking can cause health improvements, or benefits, came from imperfect studies. The research compared groups of people based on how much they drank, with amounts usually measured at only one point in time. Since some earlier studies did not follow rules about what groups were measured, researchers say they did not effectively prove cause and effect. 11Naimi said people who report drinking moderately generally have higher levels of education, higher earnings and better resources for health care. He explained that when those elements are considered, "The benefits tend to disappear." 12Another problem, Naimi noted, was that most studies did not include younger people. Almost half of people who die from alcohol-related causes do so before the age of 50. Naimi said the studied groups did not effectively represent all drinkers. This likely created "an appearance" of a benefit for moderate drinkers that is not real, he added. 13What do international guidelines say? 14Health guidelines related to alcohol intake have wide differences from country to country. But the overall message today is that drinking less is better for health. 15Britain, France, Denmark, Holland and Australia recently examined new evidence and lowered their guidelines for safe amounts of alcohol. Ireland plans to begin requiring cancer warnings on alcohol containers starting in 2026. 16Carina Ferreira-Borges is an adviser on alcohol for the World Health Organization in Europe. She said scientists had changed their minds from earlier research. This is because more recent studies suggest drinking alcohol is linked "to over 200 health conditions, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and injuries." 17Naimi said, "The simple message that's best supported by the evidence is that, if you drink, less is better when it comes to health." 18I'm Andrew Smith. 19Carla K. Johnson reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. 20______________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22beer - n. an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavored with hops 23wine - n. an alcoholic drink made from the juice of grapes 24liquor- n. a strong alcoholic drink such as vodka or whiskey 25tend - v. to be likely to do a particular thing 26cardiovascular - adj. medical. of or relating to the heart and blood vessels 27What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section.