(NewsNation) — A leading expert on alcohol and longevity has revealed that even moderate drinking can reduce life expectancy, challenging long-held beliefs about health benefits of alcohol.
Dr. Tim Stockwell, scientist at Canadian Institute of Substance Use Research, told the Daily Mail that consuming an average of two drinks per week over a lifetime could shorten a person’s lifespan by 3 to 6 days. One drink a day, seven a week, can reduce life expectancy by 2 and a half months.
Heavy drinkers, those who consume about 35 drinks per week, can lose approximately two years of life, according to Stockwell’s research.
These findings contradict the popular notion that moderate alcohol consumption, especially Red wine, is beneficial for health. Stockwell, once an advocate of moderate alcohol consumption, changed his position after discovering flaws in previous medical research.
A meta-analysis led by Stockwell, which looked at more than 107 studies from the past four decades, concluded that no amount of alcohol improves health and can increase the risk of death from any cause.
Alcohol has been shown to damage several organs, including the brain, heart, liver, and pancreas. It can increase blood pressure, contribute to heart disease, interfere with nutrient absorption, and suppress the immune system.
Stockwell and his colleagues questioned the validity of studies pointing to the health benefits of alcohol, noting that many were funded by the alcohol industry. They argue that non-drinkers may appear less healthy in studies because they have stopped drinking due to existing health problems.
Federal guidelines currently recommend that men have no more than two drinks a day and women no more than one. However, recent research suggests that even these levels may be too high.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convened a six-member advisory board to reevaluate currentconsumption recommendations.
Guidelines vary from country to country, but the general trend is to drink less.
The United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia recentlyreviewed new evidenceand reduced alcohol consumption recommendations. Ireland will require cancer warning labels on alcohol from 2026.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
