A major report released this week links moderate drinking to a lower risk of death from any cause, including heart disease. However, the findings also reveal an increased risk of breast cancer associated with moderate alcohol consumption. The World Health Organization (WHO) previously concluded in 2022 that no amount of alcohol is entirely safe, underscoring the complexity of alcohol's effects on health.
The report, commissioned by Congress and conducted by a committee from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, reviewed research dating back to 2010. The focus was on understanding the relationship between moderate drinking and various health outcomes, such as death from any cause, heart disease, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, weight changes, and Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at Tufts University, emphasized the cancer connection as the main takeaway from the report. He stated:
"Essentially, what this means is that alcohol is clearly a carcinogen" – Dr. Michael Siegel
Researchers also found that heavy drinking is linked to six types of cancers, including cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, liver, and stomach. Dr. Nicholas Lim from the University of Minnesota Medical School expressed hope that the report would lead to better research for a clearer understanding of alcohol's health impacts. He noted:
"I think this report sort of highlights all the things that we don’t know" – Dr. Nicholas Lim
The current guidelines recommend moderation in alcohol consumption—defined as up to two drinks per day for men and one for women. Dr. Michael Pignone from Duke University shared his skepticism about the benefits of low-level alcohol consumption:
"I am skeptical that low levels of alcohol consumption really reduce mortality or cardiovascular mortality" – Dr. Michael Pignone
The report's findings will play a crucial role in shaping the 2025 federal dietary guidelines for alcohol consumption. Dr. Ned Calonge, chair of the NASEM committee, highlighted the nuanced relationship between alcohol and health:
"We looked at that body of literature and were able to make three conclusions with what we call moderate certainty, and what that means is that we feel comfortable in making these conclusions based on the evidence we had available" – Dr. Ned Calonge
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