As a cardiologist, I am asked almost every day if ‘Alcohol is good or bad for your health?’.
Let’s find out.
Alcohol Is A Toxin.
There is no getting away from the fact that, at its most basic chemical foundation, alcohol is a toxin.
Globally, alcohol is responsible for 3 million deaths per year; in the United States, it is the third leading cause of preventable death¹².
Alcohol is a factor in³:
30% of suicides
40% of fatal burn injuries
50% of fatal drownings
50% of homicides
65% of fatal falls
29% of fatal road traffic accidents
Alcohol is a factor in 1 in 5 emergency department presentations⁴.
No pun intended, but these statistics make for some sober reading.
‘Red Wine Is Good For Your Heart.’
Now come on.
Did you really think that was true?
I have heard this phrase over and over again in my clinical practice.
High levels of exercise are good for your heart, but oddly enough, most people seem to be far less enthusiastic about this approach than regular alcohol consumption.
Let’s see what the data says.
Up until very recently, it was believed that drinking 1-2 drinks per day was actually protective when it came to dying prematurely⁵.
This data was based on observational studies that cannot fully control for all confounders and can therefore not infer causality.
When you examine the people who drink only 1 to 2 drinks per day, you consistently find that they are much less likely to smoke, be overweight or engage in any other risky health behaviours.
So in truth, it probably wasn’t the alcohol that was driving the effect.
More recent studies have attempted to control for this variable more carefully, and the relationship is clear.
The more you drink.
The higher the risk.
Take coronary artery disease. Higher alcohol intake equates to a higher risk.
The same applies to high blood pressure⁶.
The same applies to stroke⁷.
The list goes on⁸:
Atrial fibrillation – Higher risk.
Sudden death – Higher risk.
Heart failure – Higher risk.
Liver, Breast, Colorectal, Oropharyngeal Cancer – Higher Risk⁹.
You get the point.
With all this information to hand, why is it then that I and billions of others continue to drink alcohol?…
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As a cardiologist, I am asked almost every day if ‘Alcohol is good or bad for your health?’.
Let’s find out.
Alcohol Is A Toxin.
There is no getting away from the fact that, at its most basic chemical foundation, alcohol is a toxin.
Globally, alcohol is responsible for 3 million deaths per year; in the United States, it is the third leading cause of preventable death¹².
Alcohol is a factor in³:
30% of suicides
40% of fatal burn injuries
50% of fatal drownings
50% of homicides
65% of fatal falls
29% of fatal road traffic accidents
Alcohol is a factor in 1 in 5 emergency department presentations⁴.
No pun intended, but these statistics make for some sober reading.
‘Red Wine Is Good For Your Heart.’
Now come on.
Did you really think that was true?
I have heard this phrase over and over again in my clinical practice.
High levels of exercise are good for your heart, but oddly enough, most people seem to be far less enthusiastic about this approach than regular alcohol consumption.
Let’s see what the data says.
Up until very recently, it was believed that drinking 1-2 drinks per day was actually protective when it came to dying prematurely⁵.
This data was based on observational studies that cannot fully control for all confounders and can therefore not infer causality.
When you examine the people who drink only 1 to 2 drinks per day, you consistently find that they are much less likely to smoke, be overweight or engage in any other risky health behaviours.
So in truth, it probably wasn’t the alcohol that was driving the effect.
More recent studies have attempted to control for this variable more carefully, and the relationship is clear.
The more you drink.
The higher the risk.
Take coronary artery disease. Higher alcohol intake equates to a higher risk.
The same applies to high blood pressure⁶.
The same applies to stroke⁷.
The list goes on⁸:
Atrial fibrillation – Higher risk.
Sudden death – Higher risk.
Heart failure – Higher risk.
Liver, Breast, Colorectal, Oropharyngeal Cancer – Higher Risk⁹.
You get the point.
With all this information to hand, why is it then that I and billions of others continue to drink alcohol?…
Subscribe to Dr Paddy Barrett to unlock the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of Dr Paddy Barrett to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.
Up to 85% of people in the U.S. experience back pain in their lifetime. And 28% of people with chronic pain turn to alcohol for relief. So, it can be helpful to understand possible connections between the two. There are many reasons you may experience back pain, and alcohol can… pic.twitter.com/BmRjRJpPgQ
You’re putting your skin at risk of sunburn and even skin cancer when you pour on the beer
There’s a good chance you think a golden tan makes you look more youthful, healthier and more attractive. And while there are many ways to achieve a faux bronzed glow — think bronzers and sunless tanners — you might be tempted to try an unsafe way to get a suntan.
One of those dangerous trends is beer tanning (yes, you read that right!). The idea is that slathering your skin with beer will help you achieve a darker, richer color.
You can thank social media for spreading the concept of beer tanning. But just because TikTok or Instagram influencers are touting the results of something, doesn’t mean it’s not without its risks (Exhibit A: nasal tanning sprays).
Dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, explains how beer tanning can harm your skin and why it’s so important to protect your skin.
What is beer tanning?
Instead of using sunscreen, people use the alcoholic beverage like a tanning lotion. The thought process is that hops — one of the main ingredients in beer — increase your skin’s melatonin.
But Dr. Khetarpal wants to be very clear: There’s no scientific evidence to support this theory. And you’re leaving your skin in a vulnerable state with no SPF protection at all.
“There are many issues with this idea of beer tanning,” she continues. “The first is that if you’re not applying sunscreen, the skin is not protected. It can also increase the chance of getting a sunburn and lead to an increased risk of skin cancer.”
The dangers of beer tanning
Just like tanning beds and using tanning oil, beer tanning is NOT good for you or your skin.
Beer tanning essentially leaves your skin unprotected. Exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can lead to:
And what might be most concerning is who is following this unsafe idea.
“The age groups that are following these trends are 15- to 34-year-olds — and it’s also the same age group that has a disproportionately high incidence of skin cancer and that’s on the rise,” says Dr. Khetarpal. “We’re going to see that number go up as this population ages.”
The facts on skin cancer — the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. — paint a scary picture. Here are just some of the alarming stats:
In 2024, the number of deaths from melanoma is expected to increase by 3.8%.
“We get most of our sun exposure during childhood, so it’s important to wear sunscreen every day even if you’re not outdoors,” stresses Dr. Khetarpal. “The increase in UV exposure and tanning beds is why there is an increase in skin cancer that we’re seeing today.”
Wear UPF clothing. UPF stands for “ultraviolet protection factor,” and certain clothing is made with UPF fabric.
Wear a hat and sunglasses. These items can help protect your face, the back of your neck and your eyes.
Seek out shady areas when you can. Not only can this help protect your skin, but getting a break from the hot sun can also reduce your chance of dehydration and heat stroke. Consider an umbrella when you’re at the beach.
“Protect your skin by wearing an SPF 30 or higher daily, regardless of the weather and reapply every 2 hours when outdoors,” reiterates Dr. Khetarpal. “You can also look for UPF-protected clothing and seek shade during peak sun hours, which are typically 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.”
Bottom line?
Sure, we get it — our society is somewhat obsessed with suntans and having a bronzed look. But as with most viral trends, beer tanning can do more harm than good. Ask yourself: Is having a tan worth the potential for skin cancer down the road?
And if you’re like us and Dr. Khetarpal, not only is it not worth the risk of sunburn, heat exhaustion and skin cancer, but it’s also not worth the mess it creates.
“Besides everything we know about ultraviolet exposure and putting yourself outside without sunscreen, why would you want to put something sticky and messy all over your body?” asks Dr. Khetarpal.
What to know before grabbing an ice-cold beer to beat the heat:
It’s a warm summer day and you’re hanging out with friends and family for the first time in over a year, celebrating being vaccinated and just being together. And to help beat the heat, you reach in the cooler for an ice-cold beer.
While that might be refreshing at the moment, though, there’s good reason to grab some water, too. The heat of summer can be brutal, sometimes, and its effects are amplified when you’ve had a little too much alcohol.
To better understand the risks you face when drinking alcohol during this hot vaccine summer, we spoke with registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD.
The biggest danger: dehydration
Whenever you’re outside in the heat for prolonged periods – like at the beach or picnic – you’re at risk of dehydration. Consuming alcohol only heightens that risk.
Alcohol reduces the release of the hormone vasopressin, which keeps your body fluids balanced. At the same time, alcohol is also a diuretic which means more urinating and that can lead to dehydration even without the heat. Add in all that sweat from the hot sun and it’s a recipe for dehydration disaster.
One thing Zumprano points out, too, is that caffeine – whether via coffee, soda or as a mixer for liquor – heightens that dehydration risk even further.
Dehydration can also compound certain aspects of intoxication, she notes. “Altered thinking, altered abilities to drive and make reasonable decisions or even just to have conversations are all things that intoxication can cause.”
Liquor versus beer: Is one worse than the other in the heat?
Given that alcohol content is usually higher in spirits than in your average beer, it makes sense that drinking beer instead of mixed drinks might help you avoid dehydration. But the reality is a little more complex, according to Zumpano.
“If you’re consuming liquor at a volume equivalent to the volume of beer, like 12 ounces of margaritas compared to 12 ounces of an average beer, you will get drunk a lot quicker,” she says. “But if you’re drinking what’s considered an alcoholic drink equivalent, there’s not much of a difference because your alcohol intake is the same.”
According to the National Institute of Health, one alcoholic drink equivalent, also referred to as a “standard drink,” contains around 14 grams of pure alcohol. By those measurements, an average 12-ounce can of beer contains the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a typical shot of distilled spirits like rum, vodka, gin or whiskey.
One thing to keep an eye on, though, is the alcoholic content of your beer. While major brands generally run between 4% and 5% alcohol per 12-ounce can or bottle, certain styles of craft beer are as much as 9% alcohol per the same volume. In other words, one can of your favorite local IPA delivers almost twice the amount of alcohol to your system.
Beware a false sense of hydration
Another mistake you should avoid, Zumpano says, is thinking that drinking all that liquid rehydrates you. “If you’re drinking a lot of beer or alcoholic seltzer, it can feel like you’re drinking a lot of liquid and staying hydrated, but the alcohol offsets that because it’s the dehydrating factor,” she points out.
Not that drinking mixed drinks is any better, according to Zumpano. “If you’re drinking a sugary, sweet mixed drink, you run into the same thing. It feels like you’re staying hydrated because they go down so much smoother than drinking spirits on the rocks. But it’s the same effect as with beer: The alcohol is still dehydrating you unless you’re also drinking enough water.”
Sugar, the hidden villain
All of these drinks have other adverse health effects, too. They can pack a bunch of calories into a single serving – as many as 400 to 500 calories in some mixed drinks and craft beers – and they can come loaded with carbs.
There’s more, though. “If you’re drinking high sugar, high caloric intake beverages and you’re drinking a lot of them, they can be very filling,” Zumpano says. If you’re feeling full, you might not eat any food which can otherwise help absorb some of the alcohol.
How to counter dehydration: water, water, water
So what can you do to avoid dehydration troubles when you’re sipping your favorite boozy beverage by the pool? “To counteract the dehydration risk of alcohol,” Zumpano says, “drink 8 to 12 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink. It slows your intake, keeps you hydrated and can mitigate negative hangover effects.”
She suggests keeping a reusable water bottle with you that you can refill as the day goes on, taking time to drink the necessary water between beers or margaritas. Another option is to buy a pack of 8-ounce bottles of water and alternate with your booze. And you can always infuse your water with fruit to keep it flavorful.
“It’s also important to know what your trigger for over-consumption is,” she adds. “If you’re triggered by over-consuming beer or alcoholic seltzer, you want to be mindful of that. Try to switch a drink you have better control of and keep the water bottle handy.”
Up to 85% of people in the U.S. experience back pain in their lifetime. And 28% of people with chronic pain turn to alcohol for relief. So, it can be helpful to understand possible connections between the two. There are many reasons you may experience back pain, and alcohol can… pic.twitter.com/BmRjRJpPgQ
You’re putting your skin at risk of sunburn and even skin cancer when you pour on the beer
There’s a good chance you think a golden tan makes you look more youthful, healthier and more attractive. And while there are many ways to achieve a faux bronzed glow — think bronzers and sunless tanners — you might be tempted to try an unsafe way to get a suntan.
One of those dangerous trends is beer tanning (yes, you read that right!). The idea is that slathering your skin with beer will help you achieve a darker, richer color.
You can thank social media for spreading the concept of beer tanning. But just because TikTok or Instagram influencers are touting the results of something, doesn’t mean it’s not without its risks (Exhibit A: nasal tanning sprays).
Dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, explains how beer tanning can harm your skin and why it’s so important to protect your skin.
What is beer tanning?
Instead of using sunscreen, people use the alcoholic beverage like a tanning lotion. The thought process is that hops — one of the main ingredients in beer — increase your skin’s melatonin.
But Dr. Khetarpal wants to be very clear: There’s no scientific evidence to support this theory. And you’re leaving your skin in a vulnerable state with no SPF protection at all.
“There are many issues with this idea of beer tanning,” she continues. “The first is that if you’re not applying sunscreen, the skin is not protected. It can also increase the chance of getting a sunburn and lead to an increased risk of skin cancer.”
The dangers of beer tanning
Just like tanning beds and using tanning oil, beer tanning is NOT good for you or your skin.
Beer tanning essentially leaves your skin unprotected. Exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can lead to:
And what might be most concerning is who is following this unsafe idea.
“The age groups that are following these trends are 15- to 34-year-olds — and it’s also the same age group that has a disproportionately high incidence of skin cancer and that’s on the rise,” says Dr. Khetarpal. “We’re going to see that number go up as this population ages.”
The facts on skin cancer — the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. — paint a scary picture. Here are just some of the alarming stats:
In 2024, the number of deaths from melanoma is expected to increase by 3.8%.
“We get most of our sun exposure during childhood, so it’s important to wear sunscreen every day even if you’re not outdoors,” stresses Dr. Khetarpal. “The increase in UV exposure and tanning beds is why there is an increase in skin cancer that we’re seeing today.”
Wear UPF clothing. UPF stands for “ultraviolet protection factor,” and certain clothing is made with UPF fabric.
Wear a hat and sunglasses. These items can help protect your face, the back of your neck and your eyes.
Seek out shady areas when you can. Not only can this help protect your skin, but getting a break from the hot sun can also reduce your chance of dehydration and heat stroke. Consider an umbrella when you’re at the beach.
“Protect your skin by wearing an SPF 30 or higher daily, regardless of the weather and reapply every 2 hours when outdoors,” reiterates Dr. Khetarpal. “You can also look for UPF-protected clothing and seek shade during peak sun hours, which are typically 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.”
Bottom line?
Sure, we get it — our society is somewhat obsessed with suntans and having a bronzed look. But as with most viral trends, beer tanning can do more harm than good. Ask yourself: Is having a tan worth the potential for skin cancer down the road?
And if you’re like us and Dr. Khetarpal, not only is it not worth the risk of sunburn, heat exhaustion and skin cancer, but it’s also not worth the mess it creates.
“Besides everything we know about ultraviolet exposure and putting yourself outside without sunscreen, why would you want to put something sticky and messy all over your body?” asks Dr. Khetarpal.
You likely know that drinking alcohol too often or to excess isn’t a good idea, health-wise. But when it comes to alcohol and heart health, you may have heard different sides. Is drinking all that bad for your heart? Can a glass of wine help reduce your risk of heart disease — or make it worse?
First things first: If you drink alcohol, you should do so in moderation to avoid alcohol-related heart issues. And you should never intentionally use alcohol to try to reduce your risk of heart disease.
To further explore the relationship between your ticker and your favorite glass of merlot or IPA, we chatted with cardiologist Leslie Cho, MD.
Ways alcohol can impact heart health
Here are some of the effects of alcohol on your heart:
Increased heart rate
One of the most important things your heart does is keep a rhythm. On average, a regular heart rate is about 60 to 100 beats per minute when your body is at rest. But alcohol can lead to your heart rate temporarily jumping up in speed, and if it goes over 100 beats per minute, it can cause a condition called tachycardia. Too many episodes of tachycardia could lead to more serious issues like heart failure or going into irregular rhythms, which can cause heart attack and stroke.
Raises blood pressure
That fourth drink at the bar may feel like it’s relaxing you, but it’s actually affecting your body differently than you might think. Alcohol can affect your blood pressure, causing it to go up temporarily. This is especially true when you engage in binge drinking (that’s defined as four or more drinks within two hours for women and people assigned female at birth, and five or more drinks within two hours for men and people assigned male at birth).
And sure, we’ve all had a night here or there where we’ve had one too many and we know it. But it’s important to make sure those nights of overindulgence are the exception and not the rule. If you’re not sure, make a note to tune into how much you’re having over the course of the next month or so. If it’s more than recommended, try to consciously pace your drinking to help reduce the spike in your blood pressure that excessive alcohol causes.
And if you have a history of high blood pressure, it’s best to avoid alcohol completely or drink only occasionally, and in moderation.
Irregular heartbeat
Whether it’s a glass of red wine with your turkey or toasting champagne for the new year, alcohol definitely becomes more present during the holiday season. And while enjoying celebratory spirits in moderation is alright for most people, it’s important to be aware you can fall victim to holiday heart syndrome if you overdo it. This is when overeating and overindulging in alcohol lead to an irregular heartbeat.
Holiday heart syndrome can happen if you don’t typically drink alcohol, but then have a few at a holiday party or if you binge drink. This can cause you to develop an irregular heartbeat, called atrial fibrillation, which can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure.
Prolonged drinking can cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy
The short-term effects of alcohol (headache, nausea, you know the rest) are easy to pinpoint. But there are ways that alcohol affects your body over time that are important to understand. One of the long-term effects of alcohol on your heart is alcoholic cardiomyopathy. This is when your heart-pumping function gets weaker and your heart gets larger due to changes from heavy alcohol use over a long period of time.
OK, don’t panic. If you’re an occasional drinker, there’s no cause for worry. But it may be worthwhile learning about what counts as binge drinking and whether or not you may be drinking too much and don’t even know it.
Is some level of alcohol safe or beneficial?
It’s true, red wine is a better choice than hard liquor. But can a trip to the wine bar boost your heart health?
You should never consider wine or any other alcohol as a way to lower your heart disease risk. And, in fact, the study also showed that drinking one or fewer drinks per day was related to the lowest likelihood of dying from a stroke. However, Dr. Cho points out that more recent data shows that there may be no amount of alcohol that is truly safe. “The myth that wine is beneficial for heart health is no longer true,” she states.
“It’s not a good idea to start drinking alcohol in an effort to lower your risk of heart disease,” Dr. Cho continues. “It’s better not to drink any alcohol at all.”
It’s also important to know that the ways in which alcohol affects your heart will vary from person to person, depending on your age and other conditions you may have.
Age
Let’s face it, a hangover in your mid-40s doesn’t feel the same as one in your early 20s. This is because your age plays a factor in how well you tolerate alcohol. While some people develop a tolerance to alcohol over time, this isn’t true for everyone — and this ability doesn’t last forever, Dr. Cho notes.
“As we get older, our ability to clear alcohol definitely decreases and our sensitivity to alcohol probably increases,” she explains. “Also as we get older, we end up having more diseases, so we could be on medicines that can interfere with the way our bodies metabolize alcohol.”
Other medical conditions
In many ways, your medical history (and present) can tell you a lot about your future with alcohol. That means, if you’re living with other medical conditions and/or taking certain medications, this will all have an impact on how alcohol affects you.
“Certain health conditions can make drinking alcohol more dangerous,” Dr. Cho says.
For example, some people who are on cholesterol-lowering medicines may experience muscle aches when they drink alcohol. Because alcohol and cholesterol medicine both are processed through your liver, they are, in a sense, competing for clearance. So, it’s important to think about your overall health and talk to a healthcare provider about your personal risk factors.
“Alcohol is made out of sugar,” Dr. Cho points out. “So, if you’re predisposed to diabetes or if high triglycerides are one of your issues, it’s not a good idea to drink alcohol.”
Dr. Cho also warns that if you have liver dysfunction or take other medicines that are processed through the liver, your risks might be different. Talk to your healthcare provider about how alcohol might interact with your prescription medicines.
The last thing you want is for that casual drink after work or glass of wine at dinner to negatively impact your heart health. There’s a way to have a healthy, balanced relationship with alcohol that lets you enjoy a drink occasionally and celebrate with friends and family. But your heart is an important organ that should also be cared for, so be sure to drink in moderation, learn about binge drinking and know what your body can (and can’t) tolerate before opening that tab.FACEBOOKTWITTERLINKEDINPINTERESTEmailalcoholalcohol and healthalcoholic beveragesbinge drinkingheart health
A new Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk outlines a connection between drinking alcohol and increased risk of cancer, specifically cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, breast, liver and colon.
Let’s start with some simple facts. Alcohol is a toxin. Alcohol is a factor in1: 30% of suicides 40% of fatal burn injuries 50% of fatal drownings 50% of homicides 65% of fatal falls 29% of fatal road traffic accidents Globally, alcohol is responsible for 3 million deaths per year; in the United States, it is the third leading cause of preventable death23. It is hard to see the upside when you see these figures. So let’s go a little deeper. First off, I drink alcohol. Not a lot. But I do drink. So any comments made here are not some puritanical position on alcohol but reflections on the data that exist in the literature. Multiple studies have demonstrated that excess alcohol consumption, usually defined as consuming greater than 2 to 4 drinks per day, is associated with worse outcomes and a greater likelihood of dying when compared to someone who drinks less than 2 to 4 drinks per day4. Alcohol Dosing and Total Mortality in Men and Women: An Updated Meta-analysis of 34 Prospective Studies. Arch Intern Med.2006
In the study shown above, females start to accrue an increased risk at greater than two drinks per day on average and males at greater than four drinks per day.
These findings shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
Surprisingly, on average, individuals who consume less than two drinks per day appear to have better outcomes than those who do not drink at all. This is where things start to get a little counterintuitive, and the story of alcohol being beneficial for you starts to appear.
This relationship is known as a ‘U’ shaped curve where those in the middle have the best outcomes, and those on the edges have worse outcomes. A kind of ‘Goldilocks’ relationship; “Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right.”
How might we explain this?
Enter the darling of the 1990s, Resveratrol. This compound in red wine spawned the mantra that red wine was ‘good for your heart’. This was based on research that suggested that it might reduce cholesterol levels, among other things.
But to consume the levels of Resveratrol tested in some of the animal studies that demonstrated benefit, you would have to drink 40 litres of wine…… Per day.
Not exactly a feasible strategy. Even with the best will in the world.
Let’s look at a more plausible explanation.
Data on alcohol consumption and outcomes are almost always based on observational data, not randomised controlled trials. This means that other factors or ‘confounders’ may explain the difference between the groups, not the alcohol consumption alone.
When you look at the trials that suggest a benefit of modest alcohol consumption, you will often find that this group tend to exercise more, smoke less, be in a higher socioeconomic bracket etc. This is referred to as a ‘healthy user bias’ and is likely to explain the difference between the groups.
Most trials try to correct or adjust for these confounders, but in truth, it is very hard to do. A recent publication looked at this problem and attempted to (as much as possible) correct for these ‘healthy user’ bias factors and then compare outcomes between alcohol consumption groups. The results were a little more in line with what we might expect.
Those in the lowest alcohol consumption category had the best lifestyle factors overall. When these healthy factors were corrected for, any benefit seen with modest alcohol consumption disappeared. What remained was a linear relationship between alcohol consumption and coronary artery disease5. Much more what you might expect.
Association of Habitual Alcohol Intake With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022
Research like this and other studies is where the more recent media reports of ‘any’ alcohol being bad for you have come.
So, alcohol is a toxin. But, as Paracelsus notes:
“The dose makes the poison.”
Even water consumed to excess can be lethal.
We know that excess alcohol consumption is harmful. But I don’t think there was any great uncertainty around that point.
The key takeaway is that modest alcohol consumption is unlikely to be ‘beneficial’ to you. As much as you loved the idea that red wine was good for your heart, we can say with reasonable confidence that this is not the case.
The real question we need to answer is whether consuming modest amounts of alcohol is considerably worse for you when it comes to heart disease and death from any cause.
Based on the literature to date, it seems that the incremental risk for modest amounts of weekly alcohol consumption is likely to be small. But that doesn’t mean there are no downsides.
Sleep
One of the main reasons I significantly reduced my alcohol consumption was its effect on my sleep. If I drink more than one drink, I find that the quality of my sleep gets worse. I am much more likely to wake in the middle of the night and feel the effects the following day. But that’s just my personal experience.
Although alcohol is likely to make you fall asleep faster, it impacts your sleep quality6. Additionally, alcohol also reduces the percentage of REM sleep a person gets overnight7.
A workaround for me is to consume any alcohol during the daytime, so my sleep is unlikely to be affected, and if I am going to have a drink, I make sure it is worthwhile. I.e. I am with friends, or it is a high-quality drink. No more drinks on airplanes for me. Mainly because you lose about 30% of your sense of smell and taste in a pressurised cabin and therefore you are less likely to enjoy your drink8. Why do you think they serve you tomato juice and the fact that you think it’s tolerable?!
Humans have been consuming alcohol as far back as the ancient Egyptians, and some evidence suggests the Chinese were consuming alcohol as far back as 7000 B.C. So I don’t see alcohol disappearing any time soon.
The question we all need to ask is:
How much are we realistically drinking on a daily or weekly basis &
Is it likely to be doing us harm?
Only you can answer that question.
The only way to be certain you are doing no harm is to eliminate alcohol entirely. But life is full of risks, some of which we can control, some we cannot.
And some risks are worth taking.
Want to eliminate all road traffic accidents worldwide?
Simple.
Ban cars.
But at what cost?
The risks of driving are a risk most of us are willing to take.
Mokdad, A.H.; Marks, J.S.; Stroup, D.F.; and Gerberding, J.L. Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. JAMA 291(10):1238–1245, 2004. Erratum in JAMA 293(3):298, 2005.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alcohol and Public Health: Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Annual Average for United States 2011–2015 Alcohol-Attributable Deaths Due to Excessive Alcohol Use, All Ages.
Alcohol Dosing and Total Mortality in Men and Women: An Updated Meta-analysis of 34 Prospective Studies. Arch Intern Med.2006;166(22):2437–2445. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.22.2437
Biddinger KJ, Emdin CA, Haas ME, et al. Association of Habitual Alcohol Intake With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223849. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3849
Britton, A., Fat, L.N. & Neligan, A. The association between alcohol consumption and sleep disorders among older people in the general population. Sci Rep10, 5275 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62227-0
Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013 Apr;37(4):539-49. doi: 10.1111/acer.12006.
Burdack-Freitag, Andrea & Bullinger, Dino & Mayer, Florian & Breuer, Klaus. (2010). Odor and taste perception at normal and low atmospheric pressure in a simulated aircraft cabin. Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit. 6. 95-109. 10.1007/s00003-010-0630-y.
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