Alcohol, Even In Small Amounts, Causes Premature Death

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Although the effects of excessive alcohol consumption are well known, there is also a belief that moderate drinking of certain types of beverages is beneficial to health. But how true can these benefits be?

According to a recent study, conducted by the University of Washington, it was revealed that even the smallest and most moderate consumption of alcohol has negative repercussions on health, to the point that it can cause premature death.

The research, which aimed to analyze the impact of alcohol consumption on the health of the world population, revealed that at least 2.8 million deaths occurred in 2016 were related to diseases developed by the drink such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and tuberculosis, among some others.

"The most surprising finding was that even small amounts of alcohol use contribute to poor health … We are used to hearing that one or two drinks a day is fine, but the evidence is evidence," Emmanuela Gakidou, one of professors from the renowned University of Washington in charge of the research.

Although the professor also revealed that certain drinks help in the prevention of some diseases, he also emphasized that the negative impacts of consumption are even greater.

"We found that with low alcohol consumption there are preventive effects for type 2 diabetes and heart attacks. But those benefits are overshadowed by the negative impact on overall health that alcohol creates, even at moderate levels, "added Gakidou.

The global study, which was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, further showed that the top five countries where alcohol consumption causes the most deaths among men are: China, India, Russia, Brazil and the United States. For its part, China, Russia, India, Ukraine and Brazil are the nations where the drink causes the most deaths of women.