The Truth About Moderate Drinking: What You Need to Know
I’ve got a bit of a mixed bag for you today—some good news and some not-so-great news. Let's start with the tough stuff.
For years, we've been told that moderate drinking—those 1-2 glasses of wine—might actually be good for us. Well, recent research is showing that's not really the case.
A team of Canadian researchers dug into 107 different studies on alcohol use, covering data from more than 4.8 million people. Their findings? The idea that moderate drinking benefits your health might have been wishful thinking.
Here’s a quick rundown:
- People who have 2 drinks a day do not have a lower risk of death compared to those who don’t drink at all. This contradicts what many of us used to believe.
- Drinking about 2 drinks a day doesn’t offer any health benefits, debunking earlier myths.
- More concerning: Women drinking 25+ grams of alcohol daily and men drinking 45+ grams were found to have a higher risk of death from any cause.
But beyond this study, alcohol has always posed challenges when it comes to your health and fitness:
- It slows down workout recovery by raising cortisol, lowering testosterone, and slowing protein synthesis.
- It can trigger cravings and impair your judgment on food choices.
- It’s loaded with empty calories.
- It’s linked to unhealthy belly fat.
- It can disrupt your sleep, which throws off your hunger hormones.
So, what’s the good news in all of this? Now we know the full story.
This knowledge empowers you to make informed choices about your health. No one’s saying you can’t enjoy a drink now and then. But when you do, you’ll be doing it with your eyes wide open.
Remember, it's the small, consistent actions that have the biggest impact on your health and your goals. So, keep this info in mind the next time you're weighing your choices.
Stay strong and informed!
REFERENCES:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802963
