The Debate: “Is Drinking Alcohol Ever Good for you?”

This is from the magazine Popular Science and I think is a really good review. There is a virtually unanimous opinion that more than moderate drinking – "Every single source agreed that alcohol consumption exceeding one standard drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men can have negative health consequences, and that drinking beyond that level brings significantly increased risks of accidental injury and death, certain cancers, heart problems, liver disease, cognitive impairments, and more."

However the debate is whether the so-called standard level is unhealthy, has no effect or even could be beneficial. The date is very mixed. The article takes less than ten minutes to read.

Yet a small risk is a very different thing from a small benefit, at the public health level, and that’s where the consensus breaks down.

The whole article is definitely worth reading – especially if like Farandaville you enjoy a drink. Here is the closing paragraph.

“If you believe in both the [positive and negative] effects, you should try to look at the reasonable risks you’re willing to take,” says Rehm. Whether or not to drink is a personal choice, and sometimes science has limits.