MODERATE DRINKING DOES not have the previously touted health benefits, a new study suggests. 

Previous studies have linked moderate alcohol consumption to health benefits, such as one glass of wine a day previously being said to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress through antioxidant compounds, which was said to lower risk of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and strokes. 

New research from scientists in Canada has concluded that these studies are of a low quality and often compare moderate drinkers with those who have had to give up for health reasons.

Moderate drinking still carries potential health hazards, including an increased risk of certain cancers, experts said. 

The study, which was headed by Dr Tim Stockwell of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use research at the University of Victoria, examined 107 published studies on people’s drinking habits and how long they lived. 

In the studies analysed by Stockwell and his team, moderate drinkers were compared with “abstainer” and “occasional drinker” groups. 

“That makes people who continue to drink look much healthier by comparison,” Stockwell said. “There is simply no completely ‘safe’ level of drinking.”

After combining data from the 107 studies, it appeared that light to moderate drinkers (those who drank between one drink per week and two per day) had a 14% lower risk of dying during the study period than abstainers. 

However, a handful of higher quality studies that included people who were relatively young at the start and made sure than former and occasional drinkers were not labelled as “abstainers” did not link moderate drinking to a longer life.

Stockwell’s study shows that lower-quality studies that included older people and had no distinction between former drinkers and lifelong abstainers were studies in which moderate drinking was linked to longevity. 

“If you look at the weakest studies, that’s where you see health benefits,” he said. 

Previously, red wine consumption had been linked to good liver health. According to a 2018 study, modest alcohol intake, particularly wine, had links to lower liver fibrosis in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 

The HSE recommends having less than 11 standard drinks weekly for women, and 17 for men. It advises drinks being spread out across the week, and having two to three alcohol-free days per week.

“Drink no more than six standard drinks on any one occasion,” it said.

“The less you drink the lower your risk of developing alcohol-related health issues.”

The study is published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. It is available to read here. 

Includes reporting by Press Association.