Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, humorously defined moderate drinking as not drinking more than your doctor. However, U.S. guidelines specify one drink per day for women and two drinks for men, while other countries have differing definitions. Recent research questioning the health benefits of even moderate drinking has prompted a reevaluation of what moderation truly means.
Dr. Stockwell noted that earlier assumptions about the health benefits of low to moderate alcohol consumption have been challenged. The belief that moderate drinkers lived longer than abstainers was based on flawed data analyses. The advantages usually attributed to low drinking amounts no longer seem valid, particularly beyond two drinks a day for women and three for men.
Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, a professor of nutrition and medicine, pointed out that the perceived health benefits of moderate drinking were likely an illusion. Many abstainers had health issues which skewed the data, making moderate drinkers appear healthier due to their better lifestyle habits rather than the effects of alcohol. This highlights a critical misconception in earlier research regarding the impacts of alcohol consumption.
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