Study Finds Drinking Alcohol Is Never Beneficial If You’re Under 40

A new global study has shared that there are no health benefits associated if you are drinking alcohol if you are under 40.

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In fact, even small quantities of alcohol consumption can be harmful.

Though the study suggests that alcohol is not bad for the older generation, who may profit from a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes as a result of moderate drinking.

Presenting their findings in The Lancet, the researchers address the controversy that is linked to the health benefits of alcohol consumption.

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Numerous previous studies have indicated that a glass of wine a day may boost heart health, although such generalized claims have never been categorically proven or debunked.

To settle the issue, the study authors decided to take a more nuanced look at the available data.

Using statistics from the 2020 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, they were able to estimate levels of alcohol use for people aged 15 and above in 204 countries and territories.

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The data breakdown helped the researchers to calculate the risks associated with drinking according to age, gender, and geographical location.

In doing so, they determined that 1.34 billion people consumed unsafe amounts of alcohol in 2020, with 76.7 percent of these being male and 59.1 percent under the age of 40.

Males aged 15 to 39 were found to be at the highest risk of unsafe drinking in all global regions, with 60 percent of alcohol-related traffic injuries involving people in this age group, including car accidents, murders, and suicides.

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According to the analysis, the safe limit for men under the age of 40 is just 0.136 standard drinks a day, with loss of health occurring once this threshold is surpassed.

Women in the same age category can safely drink roughly double this amount, with a standard drink equating to a small glass of wine, a can of beer, or a single shot of whisky or other spirit.

It should also be noted that the data does not cover the difference between binge drinking and balanced steady amounts of alcohol over numerous days, and more research is therefore needed to determine how specific drinking patterns influence health.

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“Our message is simple: young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking small amounts,” said study author Dr Emmanuela Gakidou in a statement. “While it may not be realistic to think young adults will abstain from drinking, we do think it’s important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.”

Thus, the estimates suggest that moderate drinking can provide some health benefits to people above 40, however, they should not be having underlying health problems. 

This is in particular with the people who have cardiovascular problems. 

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For those aged between 40 and 64, safe alcohol consumption was found to range from about half a standard drink to 1.82 drinks per day.

Those over the age of 65, meanwhile, may be able to consume up to three-and-a-half drinks a day without experiencing any negative health effects.

“Although the risks associated with alcohol consumption are similar for males and females, young males stood out as the group with the highest level of harmful alcohol consumption,” said Dr Gakidou.

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“This is because a larger proportion of males compared to females consume alcohol and their average level of consumption is also significantly higher.”

On the basis of these findings, the authors suggest that the alcohol consumption guidelines should be updated to reflect the varying levels of risk and benefit associated with age and gender.

“Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol,” they write.