Evidence keeps piling up that more-than-modest alcohol consumption can cut your life short

For years, the science pendulum swung between evidence that alcohol consumption could have health benefits and evidence that it can shorten your life.

New studies reinforce concerns about alcohol consumption and – at best – suggest that anything beyond modest consumption will likely hurt you.

 A 2022 study published in Scientific Reports found that 23% of modest male drinkers – who consumed no more than one alcoholic drink per day – lived 0.94 years longer than their non-drinking counterparts and had an 8% reduction in adjusted all-cause mortality.

 In contrast, regular drinkers who consumed more than one alcoholic beverage per day had a 43% increase in overall mortality and lost 6.9 years of life.

 Another 2022 study published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests the culprit for a shorter lifespan may be the fact that too much alcohol consumption is associated with shortened telomere lengths.

 Telomeres are effectively the end caps to the chromosomes, protecting them. Telomere length shortens with age. Ongoing shortening leads to senescence, which affects the health and lifespan of an individual. Shorter telomeres are associated with higher risk of disease.

 Researchers speculate that alcohol may influence telomere length by producing increased oxidate stress and inflammation.

 An article about the latest study published in the ejournal “WorldHealth.Net” reports that “drinking more than 29 units [about 10 glasses of wine] per week was associated with one to two years of age-related change in telomere length, compared with drinking less than six units weekly.”

 Obviously, this is only one study. Its results do not conclusively prove that alcohol directly affects telomere length. But one significant study finding raises serious concerns: The effects were only reported in current drinkers and not in previous or never-drinkers.

 Research about the implications of alcohol consumption on health and longevity is hardly conclusive. You can find a study that tells you want you want to hear. If you enjoy a drink now and then, science exists to support your habit.  If you are a teetotaler, you will also find supportive data.

However, one thing is clear: Drinking more than one alcoholic beverage each day is riskier than any potential benefit.