In the run-up to Christmas, researchers at Harvard University reignited a debate about whether alcohol can have health benefits. Different research groups debated whether alcohol can have a positive impact on people’s health.
In an article in the Harvard Health Letter, one team argued that moderate alcohol use is likely beneficial for heart health.
The authors pointed to several large observational studies showing that consuming one to two servings of alcohol per day could lower the risk of heart attacks and reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol.
A single serving of alcohol is defined as containing 10 milliliters of pure alcohol. That includes, for example, 250 ml of 5% beer or 125–150 ml of dry wine (9–11%).
Still, the team acknowledged that most previous studies have linked alcohol to a higher risk of many diseases. Critics say alcohol can increase blood clotting and impair blood flow to heart muscle, which can damage the heart’s function.
Dr. Anthony Komaroff, the author of the new article, noted, “The evidence for the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption for the heart comes from observational studies involving hundreds of thousands of people, whose drinking habits and health have been closely monitored for decades.”
In his article, he also mentioned that moderate drinkers had lower rates of ischemic heart disease and fewer heart attacks compared with nondrinkers and with people who drink heavily.
Dr. Komaroff concluded that “moderate alcohol consumption may have some health benefits for the heart.” But he also acknowledged that other studies “found no clear evidence that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol daily are less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not drink.” In other words, the new data doesn’t overturn earlier findings and should be weighed against them, he said.
But the new findings from Harvard scientists weren’t universally welcomed
In response to the article, U.S. health officials said that official guidelines limit alcohol consumption to two servings per week, not two per day.
While Harvard highlighted possible heart benefits from moderate drinking, consuming more than three servings a day could actually worsen health.
Critics pointed to a major study published in June by researchers from Oxford and Peking Universities and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The authors analyzed data from about half a million Chinese residents and concluded that any amount of alcohol increases the risk of developing roughly 60 diseases. Liver cirrhosis, stroke, heart attack, and cancer were among the top risks. The study also linked alcohol to 33 conditions not previously tied to drinking, including gout and cataracts, the Daily Mail reported.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that no amount of alcohol is safe. Worldwide, excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for roughly three million deaths each year.
