Contrary to popular belief, even moderate drinking can increase your risk of dying

Moderate drinkers might often enjoy one or two swigs of their preferred alcohol and think they’re drinking with caution. Well, not to burst your bubble but even this can be extremely risky. Research suggests that consuming 350ml of beer, 140ml of wine, or 40ml of hard liquor daily, even within low-risk drinking guidelines, can actually lead to hospitalisation and death. 

In a study by the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, Adam Sherk shared that moderate drinkers are actually “not insulated from harm.” 

Even drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is lethal
While we’re processing how can drinking according to guidelines cause such massive health hazards, let’s first understand what low-risk guidelines are at this moment? According to the Canadian government, low-risk drinking guidelines state that women must consume less than 10 drinks per week and men must not cross the 15 weekly mark.

During the study, a team of researchers, including Sherk, found that a major portion of alcohol-caused death and disability was experienced by those drinking within guidelines. 

According to the research, more than 50% of cancer deaths are caused by moderate drinking. 

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In fact, about 38% of all alcohol-attributable deaths were actually of individuals who drank below the weekly limits or were former drinkers.

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Is the intensity of impact different on men and women?
Turns out women are at a little less risk as compared to men. Research found that women who enjoyed a casual drinking sesh within the guidelines did have some protection from heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

Although with men that might not be the case! Sherk stated: “This protective effect did not appear to hold for men who experienced harm at all drinking levels”.

Although the core reason is still ambiguous, the research found that some drinking guidelines issued by different countries might still be high.

What should we do then?
To curb the massive health risks of moderate drinking, Sherk stated: “Don’t drink or, if you do, drink no more than one drink per day.” 

While reading this research may make us feel lost about our future drinking choices, the study aims to steer us toward caution when drinking, “When it comes to alcohol use, less is better,” concluded Sherk.

(with inputs from IANS)