In what must be a buzzkill for breweries and other alcohol manufacturers, a new Gallup poll shows that 45% of Americas think that even having one or two drinks a day is an unhealthy habit.
According to to the poll, "65% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 34 say alcohol consumption negatively affects one's health, 37% of those aged 35 to 54 and 39% of those aged 55 and older agree."
Guess what? They're right.
"Alcohol is a carcinogen and contributes to about 50 different types of death," said Dr. Timothy Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. "Overall, alcohol is a health hazard."
From CNN:
A new study found that moderate drinking doesn't appear to benefit the health of older adults, join[ing] a growing body of research countering the once widely held belief that a glass or two of alcohol a day, especially wine, might be good for health. Instead, recent research has revealed that alcohol can be a potent carcinogen and is a potential contributor for a host of other diseases, such as depression and liver and kidney problems[…]
The study, which was published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, largely came to that same conclusion. It looked at the health outcomes of more than 135,000 adults 60 and older tracked through the UK Biobank registry. At the first study visit, which was between 2006 and 2010, participants were asked detailed questions about their alcohol use, and the researchers used their answers to classify them as occasional or low-, moderate- or high-risk drinkers[….]
The study found risks at every level of regular drinking. People who fell into the low-risk category were about 10% more likely to die of cancer than those who reported only occasional drinking. Those who were moderate risk had about a 10% to 15% higher risk of dying of any cause and dying of cancer compared with occasional drinkers, while high-risk drinkers were about 33% more likely to die of cancer, heart disease and any other cause than those who drank only every once in a while.
Previously:
• Microbes in woman's gut brew alcohol, making her drunk without drinking
• Americans prefer weed to alcohol, all in all
