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Many people believe a glass of wine with dinner will help them live longer and healthier--but the scientific evidence is shaky at best, according to a new research analysis.
Most often, studies have compared moderate drinkers (people who have up to two drinks per day) with "current" abstainers. The problem is that this abstainer group can include people in poor health who've cut out alcohol.
When those abstainer "biases" and certain other study-design issues were corrected, moderate drinkers no longer showed a longevity advantage. Further, only 13 of the 87 studies avoided biasing the abstainer comparison group--and these showed no health benefits.
What's more, Stockwell, the study author, said, it was actually "occasional" drinkers--people who had less than one drink per week--who lived the longest. And it's unlikely that such an infrequent drinking would be the reason for their longevity.
Category(s):Addictions, Health / Illness / Medical Issues, Health Psychology
Source material from Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
