Want to live longer? Stop drinking

Drinking alcohol is bad and there is no doubt about it. Despite its well-known harmful effects, earlier studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption might have some health benefits. However, a new study has revealed that might not be the case after all.

A team of researchers from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria reviewed 107 studies published between January 1980 and July 2021 that involved 4.8 million participants. The team found that drinkers who consumed less than an ounce of ethanol — the form of alcohol found in beer, wine and liquor — showed no significant increase in lifespan compared to non-drinkers.

The findings of the study was published in the JAMA Network Open.

The researchers maintain that “the idea there are health benefits from moderate alcohol use is not based on strong science.”

The new study also found that there was a “significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality” for females who drank one ounce or more of alcohol per day and for males who drank one-and-a-half ounces or more daily.

While conducting the study the researchers used all available published studies on the topic of alcohol consumption’s link to all-cause mortality. However, they maintain that stronger studies are needed.