People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have better health on average than those who are teetotalers.
People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have better health on average than those who are teetotalers.
Previous studies have shown that moderate drinking may be linked to lower risks of heart disease. At the same time, excessive drinking is associated with chronic liver disease, many cancers, alcohol poisoning, fetal alcohol syndrome and heart disease, and alcohol is to blame for 2.3 million deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization.
To study the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on the overall health and well-being, researchers studied 149,773 French people and split them into four groups - those who never drank, low level drinkers (less than 10 grams of alcohol a day) moderate drinkers (1030 grams per day) and heavy drinkers (more than 30 grams daily).
It was found that low and moderate drinking groups of both men and women had better general health than those who never drank or drank large amounts. Men who drank moderately were more likely to have lower cardiovascular risk, heart rate, stress, depression and body mass index. They also scored higher on subjective health measures such the amount of exercise they did. Similar trends were found in moderate female drinkers, who had lower blood pressure and slimmer waists. For both sexes, moderate drinkers were also found to have higher amounts of so-called good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in their blood.
The researchers stressed that most of the health benefits in drinkers were not a direct result of the alcohol, but due to indirect links such as being less stressed, engaging in more physical activity and enjoying a better social status. Moderate alcohol intake is a powerful marker of a higher social level, superior general health status and lower cardiovascular risk in France. However, the study did not show any causal links and should not be used as evidence to promote alcohol.
Previous studies have shown that moderate drinking may be linked to lower risks of heart disease. At the same time, excessive drinking is associated with chronic liver disease, many cancers, alcohol poisoning, fetal alcohol syndrome and heart disease, and alcohol is to blame for 2.3 million deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization.
To study the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on the overall health and well-being, researchers studied 149,773 French people and split them into four groups - those who never drank, low level drinkers (less than 10 grams of alcohol a day) moderate drinkers (1030 grams per day) and heavy drinkers (more than 30 grams daily).
It was found that low and moderate drinking groups of both men and women had better general health than those who never drank or drank large amounts. Men who drank moderately were more likely to have lower cardiovascular risk, heart rate, stress, depression and body mass index. They also scored higher on subjective health measures such the amount of exercise they did. Similar trends were found in moderate female drinkers, who had lower blood pressure and slimmer waists. For both sexes, moderate drinkers were also found to have higher amounts of so-called good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in their blood.
The researchers stressed that most of the health benefits in drinkers were not a direct result of the alcohol, but due to indirect links such as being less stressed, engaging in more physical activity and enjoying a better social status. Moderate alcohol intake is a powerful marker of a higher social level, superior general health status and lower cardiovascular risk in France. However, the study did not show any causal links and should not be used as evidence to promote alcohol.
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