One study suggests that drinking more than a small shot glass of beer a day may pose health risks for men under the age of 40, as researchers asked younger adults. Urged to stay away from alcohol.
And a safe daily limit for women 39 and younger is the equivalent of two tablespoons of wine or 100 milliliters of beer, the research suggests.
But people over 40 can toast their health with a drink or two, as academics found that small amounts of alcohol can help ward off heart disease, stroke and diabetes in this age group.
The researchers said that young people face greater health risks from alcohol consumption than older adults.
While it may not be realistic to think that young adults will abstain from drinking, we think it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.
Dr. Emmanuella Gakidou, University of Washington
He called for stronger guidance to warn young adults of the health dangers of drinking alcohol, and that alcohol guidance should be in place depending on a person’s age and where in the world they live.
According to an analysis of drinking habits in 204 countries around the world, approximately 1.34 billion people consumed harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020.
The study, published in The Lancet, found that 59 percent of those who consumed harmful amounts of alcohol were between the ages of 15 and 39 – for whom alcohol appears to have no health benefits and was associated with drinking or car accidents, suicide or homicide. There is a risk, including associated injuries.
And three quarters of those drinking harmful alcohol were men.
Senior author Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the US, said: “Our message is simple: Young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking in moderation.
“While it may not be realistic to think that young adults will abstain from drinking, we think it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.”
Researchers looked at the risk of alcohol consumption on 22 health outcomes, including injuries, heart diseases and cancer, using 2020 Global Burden of Disease data.
Using this information the researchers were able to estimate how much alcohol a person might drink before taking on additional risks to their health compared to a person who did not drink.
They found that alcohol levels increased throughout life without increasing health risks.
“This is driven by differences in leading causes of death and disease burden at different ages,” the authors wrote.
“Any level of drinking is more likely to lead to injuries, while small amounts of alcohol reduce the risk of certain conditions prevalent in older age, such as ischemic heart disease and diabetes.”
The researchers treated a standard drink as a 100ml glass of 13% alcohol or 375ml of 3.5% beer.
He found:
– For men aged 15 to 39, the recommended amount of alcohol before “risking health harm” was just 0.136 of a standard drink. That’s roughly the equivalent of 10ml of wine – or two standard tablespoons – or 38ml of beer, which is the equivalent of a small shot glass.
The “theoretical minimum risk exposure level” for women ages 15 to 39 was 0.273 drinks — about a quarter of a standard drink per day. This equates to about two tablespoons of wine or about 100 milliliters of beer.
For adults age 40 and older without any underlying health conditions, drinking small amounts of alcohol was associated with some health benefits, such as reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
– Among people aged 40 to 64, the level of safe alcohol consumption ranged from about half a standard drink per day to about two standard drinks.
The risk of “health harm from alcohol consumption” for people aged 65 and over peaked after consuming more than three standard drinks a day.
Our estimates, based on currently available evidence, support guidelines that vary by age and region
Dana Bryazka, University of Washington
On average, the recommended alcohol intake remained low for adults over the age of 40, reaching 1.87 standard drinks per day, and the health risks increased with each drink thereafter.
Lead author Dana Bryzka, researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said: “Even if a conservative approach is taken and the lowest level of safe consumption is used to determine policy recommendations, This implies that the recommended level of alcohol consumption for the younger population is still very high.
“Our estimates, based on currently available evidence, support guidelines that vary by age and region.
“Understanding variations in alcohol consumption levels that reduce the risk of health harm for populations can help establish effective consumption guidelines, support alcohol control policies, monitor progress in reducing harmful alcohol use, and help the public.” Health risk messaging can help formulate that.”
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “The emerging science on alcohol, with hundreds of studies over the past 20 years, is clearly telling us that alcohol is harmful to the human body in many ways.
“We were unaware of this at first, and many of us continue to drink as if it has not revolutionized our knowledge.
“If you care about your health, the best way is to not drink at all.
“If you choose to drink alcohol, listen properly to the UK Chief Medical Officers, and don’t exceed 14 units a week (about six pints of lager or a bottle and a half of wine), have at least three alcohol-free days a week, and never more than six units a day.