No Health Benefit Seen From Moderate Drinking. What?

Even before reading about this study, Geezer can assure readers that more research is needed. HealthDay reports that research conducted at University College in London reviewed the health records and drinking habits of 53,000 people. What did they find? Contrary to several earlier studies, which found that light alcohol consumption may confer some degree of protection against early death and illness, with people who have fewer than two drinks per day living longer than both those who drink more and those who don’t drink at all, these researchers found that “alcohol consumption appears to confer little to no protection against mortality [death] in most age-sex groups.” But how can that be? HealthDay reports that the researchers claim that earlier studies were flawed because they lumped former drinkers in with people who’ve never touched a drop, calling all of them non-drinkers and then comparing them to people who imbibe lightly. That’s important because former drinkers appear to be at greater risk of mortality than people who never drank. And the message there? If you drink, don’t stop? More research is needed.