revealed this week that the Biden administration is considering lowering alcohol guidelines to just two drinks a week.
dr George Koob, America’s alcohol czar, said there was mounting evidence that alcohol in any amount was not good for human health.
Yet every year, studies suggest that drinking alcohol in moderation can have slight benefits.
Theories range from alcohol as a stress reliever to health benefits that result from consuming the antioxidants in wine, but none of these have ever been definitively proven.
We asked six experts whether drinking lots of alcohol can be beneficial — and the responses show that even leaders in their field have mixed opinions.
dr Dan Malleck of Brock University in Canada said people shouldn’t be put off by alcohol consumption
dr Dan Malleck, Chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Brock University, Canada: “Don’t be afraid of alcohol”
Recommendation: drink in moderation
A Canadian alcohol expert urged people not to be afraid of drinking as long as they use it responsibly, saying most experts overlook the social benefits.
dr Dan Malleck, a health expert at Brock University, said drinking alcohol acts “almost like a socializing tool.”
He said, “Also, having a drink or two makes you more relaxed, and that opens up an opportunity for new ideas.”
“There are a lot of people who have innovated in drinking,” he added
When someone drinks alcohol, it triggers the release of dopamine in the brain – triggers feelings of well-being – and helps suppress the nervous system – leading to relaxation.
dr Malleck has been an outspoken critic of the recommendation to cut down on alcohol, describing it as “worse than useless” and blaming studies for failing to take account of the social benefits of alcohol consumption.
He said the current recommendations for safe limits are inaccurate because they are based on studies of people self-reporting their alcohol consumption, while surveys show people are unlikely to accurately report their alcohol consumption.
Regarding efforts to encourage people to quit drinking altogether, he said, “My answer is that they encourage less healthy behaviors than the data shows and the body of evidence supports.”
“If you’re going to encourage people to stop drinking, they’re encouraging people to engage in less healthy behaviors than those who drink moderately.”
When asked how many times a week someone should drink alcohol, Dr. Malleck said he didn’t believe in sticking to a “number” and thought people should be their own guide. However, if someone gets drunk several times a week, they think they are probably going too far.
He drinks up to seven or eight bottles of beer a week, but there are many weeks when he doesn’t drink at all. He also sometimes enjoys a glass or two of whiskey at home.
dr George Koob, US alcohol star: We could be heading for two drinks a week
dr George Koob, Biden’s alcohol czar, said there were “no benefits” to drinking alcohol
Recommendation: No more than two drinks per day for men and one per day for women
Biden’s alcohol czar urged Americans to stick to current guidelines of no more than two drinks a week for men and one drink a week for women.
But he also warned against updating those guidelines and potentially moving the recommendation down to align with Canada — where authorities tell people to only have two drinks a week.
dr George Koob, who directs the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), told that alcohol has “no benefits”.
“Most of the benefits that people attribute to alcohol, we think, have more to do with what someone eats than what they drink,” he said.
“So it really has to do with the Mediterranean diet and the socioeconomic status that allows you to afford that type of diet and make your own fresh food and stuff like that.”
“In that sense, most of the benefits are.” [of alcohol] disappear somehow on the health side.
The alcohol policy is currently under review. dr Koob said they could be revised down if there is data from Canada showing their policies have had any benefit.
When asked how often he drinks, Dr. Koob that he drinks two glasses of white wine a week, usually a “buttery California Chardonnay.”
dr Carina Ferreira-Borges of the World Health Organization said no alcohol level is safe
dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, World Health Organization: “The more you drink, the more harmful it is”
Recommendation: No level is safe
The World Health Organization warns that drinking alcohol in any quantity is harmful to your health.
dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, WHO regional adviser on alcohol and illicit drugs in Europe, said earlier this year: “We cannot talk about so-called safe levels of alcohol consumption.”
“It doesn’t matter how much you drink – the risk to the health of the drinker starts with the first drop of an alcoholic beverage.”
“The only thing we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is – or put another way, the less you drink, the safer it is.”
A WHO spokesman told drinking less is “better”.
“Drinking less is better for your health and reduces the risk of harming yourself and others,” the spokesman said. “People who drink alcohol may want to discuss their alcohol consumption with a healthcare professional.”
The International Agency for Research on Cancer – WHO’s cancer research arm – has for decades considered alcohol a Group 1 carcinogen, carrying the same risk as asbestos, radiation and tobacco.
This means the agency believes there is sufficient evidence that alcohol can cause cancer in humans.
According to the WHO, alcohol could be the cause of at least seven types of cancer, including colon and breast cancer.
dr Ferreira-Borges and the WHO spokesman declined to reveal what they drank and how much they drank.
dr Farhad Islami of the American Cancer Society also warned that drinking alcohol is not safe in terms of cancer risk
dr Farhad Islami, American Cancer Society: “There is no safe limit for cancer risk”
Recommendation: Not a safe level
dr Farhad Islami, a well-known alcohol researcher, said there is “no safe level” of alcohol consumption.
dr Islami, who has written several articles on cancer and alcohol, said: “I would say that there is no such thing as a safe alcohol consumption in terms of cancer risk.”
“I would say that it’s best not to drink alcohol, but if someone chooses to drink alcohol, the best thing to do is limit alcohol consumption to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men .”
dr Islami, who didn’t reveal how much alcohol he consumes, agreed with the WHO’s conclusion that alcohol is linked to seven types of cancer.
“Even with one drink a day, there’s an association.” “This risk isn’t that great, but we see that the risk increases significantly as the amount of alcohol consumed increases.”
A 2018 study referenced by Dr. Islami showed that about 5.6 percent of all cancers could be related to alcohol, followed by smoking (19 percent) and obesity (7.8 percent).
The largest association was found for rarer cancers such as oral cavity and throat cancer – 40 percent or 18,000 cases per year.
But scientists also said there was a link with more common cancers like breast cancer, which accounts for about 16 percent of cases each year.
Cancers also associated with alcohol included colon cancer, liver cancer, and larynx and esophagus cancer.
Kim Pearson, nutritionist: ‘We need to socialize without alcohol’
Recommendation: Follow government guidelines
Kim Pearson, a UK-based nutritionist, said no alcohol level is safe
UK-based nutritionist Kim Pearson has criticized the supposed benefits of alcohol, saying people need to find a way to spend time together without alcohol.
She told this website, “It’s very beneficial for people to socialize, but to socialize and not drink as much as we do because most people drink way too much.”
“We really need to learn how to socialize without alcohol.”
She warned – in line with the World Health Organization – that there is “really no safe limit” for alcohol consumption.
“Among the diseases that are strongly related to alcohol, diseases such as fatty liver often occur when someone drinks heavily,” she said.
“There’s also a pretty strong association with cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke and digestive issues.”
She also warned that alcohol could damage a person’s mental health due to its depressive effects. Alcohol initially triggers an increase in dopamine levels and triggers feelings of happiness, but these can later drop and trigger feelings of sadness.
Ms Pearson herself has previously eliminated alcohol from her diet entirely – having gone without the intoxicant for a long time in the past.
However, when she does drink, she says she has a glass or two of wine a week with meals or with friends. She varies between red, white and rosé, but her favorite are wines from Seven Springs Vineyards in South Africa.
When asked how much someone should be drinking per day, she pointed to government guidelines that mandate no more than seven drinks per week.
dr Peter Attia: “Enjoy it, but don’t think it’s healthy”
dr Peter Attia, a longevity expert, emphasized that it’s important not to discount the benefits of drinking
Recommendation: Six drinks a week, no more than two a day
Renowned longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia said people should enjoy alcohol but not be “fooled” so much into thinking it’s healthy.
Speaking to the Tim Ferriss show earlier this year, he said: “I love tequila, I love mezcal, I love really good wine and I love dark Belgian beer – but I’m not deluding myself enough to think any of it is healthy.” is.”
dr Attia said he generally doesn’t have more than two drinks a day and doesn’t drink more than three days a week.
However, he explained that these rules are not set in stone and can be changed on a case-by-case basis.
“I previously posted on Instagram the rancidest night I’ve ever slept,” he said.
“And the reason was because we had friends over and it was very late, we drank, we ate, and when I went to bed about 10:30 p.m. and we’d just finished eating, it wasn’t surprising that my sleep was bad.’
“But I did point out in the post that I would do it again, it was a fantastic evening.” “My friends, the four of us, hadn’t had dinner together in a long time.”