Apparently, having a drink or two every now and then may not be so bad.
A study from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston and researchers in China has found that light to moderate alcohol drinking may reduce all causes of death, the Texas Medical Center said in a release.
The researchers drew from a national survey by the Centers for Disease Control in which 30,000 people were questioned about their drinking and smoking habits and health status. The results conveyed that causes of death across the board were reduced in moderate to light drinkers, particularly in women, people who were older or middle-aged, and non-Hispanic whites, the release said. However, the study suggested that heavy drinking can increase risks for all causes of death, particularly cancer.
“When health care professionals make recommendations on drinking for individuals or groups of people, they should be mindful of the balance between the protective and harmful health effects of lightly or moderately drinking alcohol,” S. Phani Veeranki, senior author of the study and UTMB assistant professor of epidemiology in the department of preventive medicine and community health, said in the release. “On the other hand, heavy drinkers should be reminded that drinking is harmful to their health.”
The findings of the research were published the Journal of The American College of Cardiology, the release said.
