Drinking more than one small glass of beer a day may pose a health risk to men under the age of 40, a study suggests, with researchers urging younger adults to abstain from alcohol.
And the safe daily limit for women aged up to 39 is the equivalent of two tablespoons of wine or 100ml of beer, the study found.
But those over 40 can toast their health with a drink or two, as scientists have found that a small amount of alcohol can help protect against heart disease, stroke and diabetes among this age group.
Researchers said young people face greater health risks from alcohol consumption than older people.
Although it may not be realistic to think that young adults will abstain from drinking, we do feel it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health
Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, University of Washington
They called for stricter guidelines to warn younger adults about the health dangers of drinking and said there should be personalized guidelines for alcohol use depending on a person’s age and where they live in the world .
An estimated 1.34 billion people consumed harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, according to an analysis of drinking habits in 204 countries around the world.
The study, published in The Lancet, found that 59% of those drinking harmful amounts were people aged 15 to 39 – for whom alcohol has no health benefits and carries risks, including drinking-related injuries or car accidents, suicides or murders.
And three quarters of harmful drinkers are men.
Senior author Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, professor of health indicators at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the US, said: “Our message is simple: young people should not drink, but older people can benefit from drinking small amounts quantities.
“While it may not be realistic to think that young adults will abstain from drinking, we feel it is important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health.”
The researchers looked at the risk of alcohol consumption on 22 health outcomes, including injury, cardiovascular disease and cancer, using 2020 data on the global burden of disease.
Using this information, researchers have been able to estimate how much alcohol a person can drink before taking an excessive risk to their health compared to someone who does not drink alcohol.
They found that the level of alcohol that can be consumed without increasing health risks increases throughout life.
“This is due to differences in the main causes of death and severity of disease at different ages,” the authors wrote.
“Any level of drinking increases the likelihood of injury, while small amounts of alcohol reduce the risk of some diseases prevalent in older age, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes.”
Researchers believe that a standard drink is a 100ml glass of 13% wine or 375ml of 3.5% beer.
They found:
– For men aged 15 to 39, the recommended amount of alcohol before ‘risking health loss’ is just 0.136 of a standard drink. This equates to around 10ml of wine – or two standard teaspoons – or 38ml of beer, the equivalent of a small shot glass.
– For women aged 15 to 39, the “theoretical minimum exposure level” is 0.273 drinks – about a quarter of a standard drink per day. This is the equivalent of about two tablespoons of wine or about 100 ml of beer.
– For adults age 40 and older without any underlying health problems, drinking a small amount of alcohol is associated with some health benefits, such as reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
– Among those aged 40 to 64, safe levels of alcohol consumption range from about half a standard drink per day to nearly two standard drinks.
– For those aged 65 and over, the risks of ‘health loss from alcohol consumption’ are reached after consuming just over three standard drinks per day.
Our estimates, based on currently available evidence, support guidelines that differ by age and region
Dana Bryazka, University of Washington
– Average recommended alcohol intake for adults over 40 remains low, peaking at 1.87 standard drinks per day, after which health risks increase with each drink.
Lead author Dana Bryazka, a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said: “Even if one takes a conservative approach and uses the lowest level of safe consumption to determine recommendations for policy, this means that the recommended level of alcohol consumption is still too high for the younger population.
“Our estimates, based on currently available evidence, support guidelines that differ by age and region.
“Understanding the variation in the level of alcohol consumption that minimizes the risk of health loss to the population can assist in setting effective consumption guidelines, supporting alcohol control policies, monitoring progress in reducing harmful alcohol use and the design of public health risk communications.’
Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “The new science of alcohol, based on hundreds of studies over the past 20 years, tells us very clearly that alcohol is very harmful to the human body in many ways.
“We weren’t aware of it before, and too many of us continue to drink as if this revolution in our knowledge never happened.”
“If you care about your health, the best approach is not to drink at all.
“If you decide to drink alcohol, listen to the UK’s Chief Medical Officers correctly and don’t exceed 14 units a week (around six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine), have at least three alcohol-free days a week and never exceed more than six units for one day.
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