you can buy t-shirts, tote bags and stemware printed with the long-held belief that “a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away.” but does it?
while the health consequences of
smoking
and
substance use
are apparent, many people view drinking a glass of wine with dinner as not only benign but a “
heart healthy
” cultural cornerstone.
according to research published in the journal
plos medicine
by ulrich john of university medicine greifswald, germany and colleagues, if you drink alcohol in the name of health, you might want to reconsider your position.
in their study of 4,028 adults, the researchers found that increased mortality among abstainers may largely be explained by other factors, such as a history of alcohol or drug dependence, smoking and poor health.
doctors in many countries recommend light alcohol intake — a glass of wine or pint of beer per day — to benefit patients’ health, says john. this is an interpretation of older epidemiological studies “with many shortcomings,” which suggest that alcohol abstainers have a higher mortality rate than those who drink low to moderate amounts.
the new study found no significant difference in mortality between abstainers in good health and those who drank moderately, and counters recommendations to drink alcohol for wellness reasons.