Ian Taylor writes for BBC Science Focus Magazine about the risks of drinking any amount of alcohol. The World Health Organization (“WHO”) now advises in Lancet Public Health that no amount of alcohol is good for your health. Rather, alcohol is carcinogenic. Drink lemonade!
In short, according to the WHO, “alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive and dependence-producing substance and [was] classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago.” Alcohol causes liver damage, cardiac damage, cancer, and can compromise mental health. Even in small doses, it offers no benefits, as some had once believed.”
The alcohol industry appreciates that alcohol is a carcinogen and does not say otherwise. The open question is whether there is an amount of alcohol one can consume that is not harmful. The answer from the International Agency for Research on Cancer appears to be no.
One alcoholic drink a week increases your chances of having cancer. It also is not good for your brain. You lose grey and white matter when you drink alcohol.
Recent research shows that a small amount of alcohol has no heart benefits either. You are more likely to have hypertension and coronary artery disease if you drink alcohol.
Reducing your alcohol consumption has significant health benefits. The benefits are greater from drinking two drinks a day rather than four drinks than from not drinking instead of drinking two drinks.
If you are concerned about drinking too much alcohol, talk to your doctor. Keep in mind that Medicare covers alcohol screening and counseling.
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