I didn’t think having 1 a day was a big deal
Recent research suggests that even moderate alcohol consumption, traditionally viewed as relatively harmless, could shorten a person’s life. While it has long been known that heavy drinking can cause serious health issues, emerging studies now indicate that consuming just one alcoholic drink a day could shave two months off your lifespan.
This new insight challenges previous beliefs and adds complexity to the long-debated question: How much alcohol is safe?
The Changing Understanding of Alcohol and Health
For many years, moderate alcohol consumption—especially red wine—was considered part of a healthy lifestyle. Some studies even suggested that one or two drinks a day could lower the risk of heart disease and have other protective effects. However, newer research is shifting that perspective, highlighting the risks associated with any level of alcohol consumption.
For many years, moderate alcohol consumption—especially red wine—was considered part of a healthy lifestyle. Some studies even suggested that one or two drinks a day could lower the risk of heart disease and have other protective effects. However, newer research is shifting that perspective, highlighting the risks associated with any level of alcohol consumption.
One recent large-scale study, published in The Lancet, evaluated alcohol use and its effects on health across 195 countries between 1990 and 2016. The findings were stark: no level of alcohol consumption is safe for overall health. According to the study, alcohol use was responsible for 2.8 million deaths globally in 2016, making it one of the leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide . This global perspective reinforced the notion that even moderate drinking is harmful.
How One Drink a Day Could Shorten Your Life
A pivotal study published in 2018 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research calculated that consuming one alcoholic drink daily could reduce a person’s life expectancy by an average of two months. The researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing data from nearly 600,000 individuals from multiple countries. Their focus was on determining how alcohol consumption impacted life expectancy, and their findings were surprising.
A pivotal study published in 2018 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research calculated that consuming one alcoholic drink daily could reduce a person’s life expectancy by an average of two months. The researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing data from nearly 600,000 individuals from multiple countries. Their focus was on determining how alcohol consumption impacted life expectancy, and their findings were surprising.
The study found that, on average, people who consumed more than 100 grams of alcohol per week (equivalent to about 7 standard drinks) had a shortened lifespan. Specifically, for those who drank one standard drink per day, which is about 14 grams of alcohol, the risk of early death increased proportionally. Each additional drink above this limit was associated with an even higher risk .
