Report Finds Moderate Drinking Linked to Lower Risk of Death, but Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
A major report released this week found that compared with abstaining from alcohol, moderate drinking was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease, but it was also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
New Report Challenges Previous Guidelines
Far from settling the debate over whether drinking in moderation is healthy or dangerous, the report’s conclusions further muddied the issue.
Commissioned by Congress, the Report Will Inform 2025 Guidelines
The report, released Tuesday, was commissioned by Congress and carried out by a committee from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. An update to federal dietary guidelines next year could include new recommendations about how much alcohol people should drink.
Current Guidelines Recommend Moderate Drinking
The current guidelines recommend people limit alcoholic beverages and say that if they choose to drink, they should do so in moderation, defined as two drinks a day for men and one drink for women.
New Evidence Questions Health Benefits of Drinking
Over the last few years, mounting evidence has questioned the health benefits of drinking. In 2022, the World Health Organization concluded that no amount of alcohol is safe. A large report this year found that heavy drinking is linked to six cancers, including cancers of the head and neck, the esophagus, the liver and the stomach.
Expert Opinions Diverge
Dr. Ned Calonge, chair of the NASEM committee, said that the committee was able to make three conclusions with moderate certainty, including the link between moderate drinking and a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease.
However, Dr. Michael Siegel, a Tufts University public health and community medicine professor, said that the cancer connection should be the main takeaway from the new report.
“Essentially, what this means is that alcohol is clearly a carcinogen,” Siegel said. “There isn’t a level of moderate or light drinking that can be recommended to people, because at that level it will increase their cancer risk.”
Conclusion
The report’s findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between moderate drinking and health outcomes. While moderate drinking may be linked to a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease, it is also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. The debate over whether drinking in moderation is healthy or dangerous is unlikely to be settled anytime soon.
FAQs
Q: What are the current guidelines for moderate drinking?
A: The current guidelines recommend people limit alcoholic beverages and say that if they choose to drink, they should do so in moderation, defined as two drinks a day for men and one drink for women.
Q: What did the report find about the link between moderate drinking and cancer?
A: The report found that moderate drinking is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Q: What are the implications of the report’s findings?
A: The report’s findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between moderate drinking and health outcomes. While moderate drinking may be linked to a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease, it is also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Q: Will the report’s findings inform the 2025 guidelines?
A: Yes, the report’s findings will be taken into consideration when updating the federal dietary guidelines next year.
