The $30 million study: A wake-up call for the alcohol industry

A newly published government alcohol study,authored by Priscilla Martinez-Matyszczyk, has concluded that the health risks of alcohol start at a single drink a day. The report, which was caught up in controversy after drawing the ire of the alcohol industry, assessed relationships between average alcohol consumption and the risk of disease or death from causes that were directly attributed to drinking.

The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, found that consuming more than one drink per occasion was associated with progressively higher risks of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and injury... However, occasional heavy drinking nullified the protective effects against stroke.

The study relied exclusively on U.S. health data and was one of two reports commissioned during the Biden administration to inform an update to the U .S. dietary guidelines.

What the study says about moderate drinking

The study found that having no more than one drink a day is best for health, and that drinking above that comes with significant risks. A standard drink is defined as 12 fluid ounces of reegular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.

The report's findings are in stark contrast to a second report, from a panel appointed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, or NASEM,which suggested that moderate drinking (up to two drinks a day for men and one for women) was healthier than not drinking at all.

However, the NASEM panel noted that moderate drinking was also linked to a higher breast cancer risk. Some of the panelists behind that report had financial ties to the alcohol industry.

A departure from previous guidelines

The new dietary guidelines, issued by the Trump administration in January, advised Americans to drink less for better health but omitted any recommendation for daily limits, in a departure from previous years.

The study's findings are likely to influence the development of future dietary guidelines, which may include recommendations for daily limits on alcohol consumption.

What we still don't know

The study's reliance on U.S. health data raises questions about the applicability of its findings to other countries. Additionally, the study's focus on average alcohol consumption may not capture the complexities of individual drinking habits.