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New research published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs is contesting all of those other studies that link longer life spans to moderate alcohol consumption.
To clarify, moderate drinking is drinking up to one drink a day for women, two for men.
I know, I know. I’m upset, too. When science tells you that chocolate is healthy and that drinking alcohol is good for you, you want to believe it. Who would question something like that?
Researchers analyzed 87 existing studies on alcohol use and mortality and found some gaping flaws. They discovered that many of the studies compared moderate drinkers to people who didn’t drink at all. They additionally did not account for sick people who were under doctor’s orders to abstain from alcohol consumption.
In other words, these studies ignored that those who did not drink alcohol were more likely to live shorter lives because they had poor health to begin with. It had nothing to do with turning down the occasional glass of wine or pint of beer.
When the researchers accounted for abstainer’s health and re-accessed previously published data, the link between moderate alcohol consumption and longevity disappeared to an extent. People who had an occasional drink seemed to live the longest, but there is not enough data to suggest that it is because of alcohol.
On the other hand, alcohol still promotes recovery amongst endurance athletes – so everyone’s favorite solution isn’t totally lacking its alleged merits!
And, I mean, it still gets you drunk, so there’s that.
