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posted by chromas on Saturday August 25 2018, @04:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the this-news-is-terrible-and-I'm-gonna-need-a-drink dept.

No alcohol safe to drink, global study confirms

A large new global study published in the Lancet has confirmed previous research which has shown that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. The researchers admit moderate drinking may protect against heart disease but found that the risk of cancer and other diseases outweighs these protections. A study author said its findings were the most significant to date because of the range of factors considered.

The Global Burden of Disease [open, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31310-2] [DX] study looked at levels of alcohol use and its health effects in 195 countries, including the UK, between 1990 and 2016.

Analysing data from 15 to 95-year-olds, the researchers compared people who did not drink at all with those who had one alcoholic drink a day. They found that out of 100,000 non-drinkers, 914 would develop an alcohol-related health problem such as cancer or suffer an injury. But an extra four people would be affected if they drank one alcoholic drink a day. For people who had two alcoholic drinks a day, 63 more developed a condition within a year and for those who consumed five drinks every day, there was an increase of 338 people, who developed a health problem.

One of the study authors, Prof Sonia Saxena, a researcher at Imperial College London and a practising GP, said: "One drink a day does represent a small increased risk, but adjust that to the UK population as a whole and it represents a far bigger number, and most people are not drinking just one drink a day."

Related: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking is Healthy
Study Shows 3 Drinks a Day May Cause Liver Cancer
Even Moderate Drinking Linked to a Decline in Brain Health
American Society of Clinical Oncology: Alcohol Use Increases Risk of Cancer


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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:07PM (15 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:07PM (#726282) Journal

    There is no safe level - for an alcoholic. The problem with alcoholism is, you don't know you're an alcoholic until it's too late. On that one, single count, I can agree with them. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption for an alcoholic.

    The rest of us? I firmly believe that a single drink of beer or wine daily is the best level of consumption. It don't get you drunk, doesn't even cause a buzz, but you get the various nutrients from the beverage you choose.

    But, TBH, I like a beer or three when I do drink. I like my Scotch whiskey even better. I don't know that the Scotch actually has any specific benefits, aside from the alcohol itself.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:17PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:17PM (#726285)

    Drinking alcohol foe nutrition is beyond stupid. There may be a little psychological "buzz" effect but still why poison yourself if you dont actually get the real effext?

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:24PM (5 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:24PM (#726289) Journal

      The "nutrients" contained in wines and beers are pretty much available nowhere else. Both have benefits that have been acknowledged by countless health and nutrition authorities. And, the alcohol itself is a nutrient, whether you care to admit it or not.

      The person who drinks a single drink per day is generally healthier than those who don't drink, or those who drink like fish. The old adage, "Everything in moderation" applies.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:50PM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:50PM (#726300)

        Citation needed, alcohol has no nutritional value. Those other nutrients can be filtered out and taken sans alcohol and that would be done if there were actual truth to the old wives tale that alcohol has health benefits.

        Most of what you're seeing is a side effect of people that drink in moderation being less likely to have illnesses like diabetes and other ones that prevent drinking.

        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:37PM (3 children)

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:37PM (#726322) Journal

          Your body metabolizes alcohol, extracting energy from it. That makes it a nutrient, just as refined white sugar is a nutrient. White sugar is far easier to extract energy from than a hunk of red meat. Alcohol is, in turn, far easier to extract energy from than a blob of refined white sugar.

          Myth: Alcohol makes you fatter. Excess calories make you fatter, period. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram and can be used as an energy source by the body just like carbs, protein, and fat can, (4, 4, and 9 calories per gram respectively). The only catch is that the body must burn the alcohol calories first, before it can move on to the other food you’ve eaten. However, don’t forget to consider your mixer, or how dark your beer is, as this will add carbs/sugars and additional calories to your alcoholic beverage. When you order that Margarita or Bloody Mary, you’re drinking a lot more than just alcohol.

          http://maxwettsteinfitness.com/Library/Alcohol.htm [maxwettsteinfitness.com]

          You may reasonably argue that alcohol is one of the poorest nutrtients known to man, but it really is a nutrient.

          As for filtering out those other nutrients - I suppose it's possible. But, why?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @08:08PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @08:08PM (#726334)

            You may reasonably argue that alcohol is one of the poorest nutrtients known to man, but it really is a nutrient.

            I once had to take some kind of intelligence test given to me by the state with a question like:

            Which is not a nutrient?
            A) Sugar
            B) Protein
            C) Fat
            D) Alcohol
            E) All of the above

            There was another time that a question required me to believe mushrooms were a type of plant.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @08:32PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @08:32PM (#726341)

            You'd filter them out because alcohol is toxic.

            I guess technically it is a nutrient, but it's definitely toxic and definitely messes with a person's body chemistry and interacts with many medications. Which would be the point. You could also use the unused alcohol as fuel.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 27 2018, @10:37PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 27 2018, @10:37PM (#727160)

              I guess technically it is a nutrient, but it's definitely toxic and definitely messes with a person's body chemistry and interacts with many medications. Which would be the point. You could also use the unused alcohol as fuel.

              All of these points apply to essentially any chemical that can be metabolized by your body.

              I guess technically glucose is a nutrient, but it's definitely toxic [LD50 of about 30g/kg] and definitely messes with a person's body chemistry and interacts with many medications. Which would be the point. You could also use the unused glucose as fuel.

  • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:33PM (7 children)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:33PM (#726292) Homepage

    " you don't know you're an alcoholic until it's too late. "

    Complete nonsense and 12-step propaganda. Externalizing a harmful addiction is the tactic of the scoundrel; whether that harmful addiction is alcohol, crack cocaine, video gaming.

    All it takes is one instance of binge-drinking to know if you have the self-control to cut yourself off, and when, and in complete sobriety you are well-aware of how much you are Jonesing for that first drink of the day or week. I am an honest alcoholic -- I plan entire days around drinking rather than be like, "Oh, I'll drive over, have a beer or two, then drive back." Because I know for damn sure that once I raise that first drink to my lips, I'm in it for the rest of the night.

    Fortunately, I don't crave alcohol until after I have that first sip. Which means that I can spend a workweek without Jonesing for a drink, but when it comes to when I actually do drink, my motto is "go big or go home."

    • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:03PM (1 child)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:03PM (#726306) Journal

      When did you learn that you're an alkie? Was it age two, or three? Before that? What exactly were the circumstances in which you figured out that you were an alkie? I'm almost certain that it wasn't until AFTER you had your first several hangovers.

      • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:45PM

        by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:45PM (#726330) Homepage

        I started drinking regularly (well, if you count 1 or 2 forties a weekend as "regular") at age 14. The first time I realized what my drinking M.O. really was was at a party...also at age fourteen. I knew the people who were throwing it and got an early start hitting the keg. By the time the party kicked in at full-blast, I was already slurring and staggering and had moved on from beer to Aftershock. I had ruined my friend's chances of getting laid in the bed of his white Ford pickup truck when I passed out there and refused to move, and later puked that red aftershock vomit all over the side of the truck (he later said that the red stain was "very difficult" to remove). When the cops had raided the party, they went easy on all of us and let us all drive through a makeshift checkpoint as long as the drivers of the vehicles were somewhat coherent.

        Riding bitch in that white single-cab truck, the cop shined his light in my face and asked me where we were going. Being a huge Metallica fan, I replied, I'm going Back to the Front! For some reason, he let us go. That cop must have been a Metallica fan.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:40PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @07:40PM (#726325)

      Sounds so stupid it might be right. Nope, not right at all just stupid.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @10:02PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @10:02PM (#726367)

      Fortunately, I don't crave alcohol until after I have that first sip. Which means that I can spend a workweek without Jonesing for a drink, but when it comes to when I actually do drink, my motto is "go big or go home."

      My experience (and that of literally hundreds of people I have discussed this with) is that was also the case for me. I could take it or leave it. OTOH, once I started drinking, all bets were off and it was drink until I ran out or passed out. But, as I continued to drink, I found that it was a progressive disease, that over time I started to "jones" for a drink. In the end, I found i was drinking even when i didn't want to. I found that when I controlled my drinking, I could not enjoy it... and when I enjoyed my drinking, I could not enjoy it. I sincerely hope that if you find this happening to you that you seek out help. It is out there and thanks to that help I will be celebrating 25 years sober next week.

      • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday August 25 2018, @10:23PM (2 children)

        by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday August 25 2018, @10:23PM (#726373) Homepage

        You are wrong about me, brotherman. For reasons, I was for a brief period forced to attend AA meetings, and then I quickly discovered that I was not an alcoholic but abusing alcohol, which according to the definition everybody and their mom does. Congratulations on your sobriety, though, it take a strong mind to do that.

        But don't you miss it? Taking that one sip, the warmth in your belly when you feel it, and then everything is gonna be all right. It's like slipping into a warm bath. All of those annoying societal nags fade away, and you feel good again. You believe, "maybe this cult I'm in was wrong about some things," and you become human again. You accept that you are imperfect, and instead of feeling nonstop guilt you feel...normal. Yes, you had made mistakes previously in life, but now you have the maturity to move on. Life is good again!

        * Belch *

        • (Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday August 26 2018, @01:06PM

          by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Sunday August 26 2018, @01:06PM (#726535)

          You believe, "maybe this cult I'm in was wrong about some things," and you become human again. You accept that you are imperfect, and instead of feeling nonstop guilt you feel...normal.

          We wanted to hear about alcohol, not "how VLM and EthanolFueled abandoned leftism and became right wing". Not sure if I'm going for humor or insightful on this one. Both I suppose.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 26 2018, @01:24PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 26 2018, @01:24PM (#726540)

          Nope, don't miss it at all. I much appreciate being able to make decisions with a clear mind. Haven't had a hangover in over 25 years. A *large* part of getting and staying sober was making the realization that I *am* human and that I *do* make mistakes. That is not a character defect. I now have the tools to admit when I was wrong and to make amends for the harm I had done others. I have nothing from my past echoing in my head worrying that it might get found out. It has all been faced, addressed, and put to bed. The shame, remorse, and guilt is *gone*.

          I once heard someone refer to that noise in my head as "boots in the dryer" just going on and on and on. I could drown it out for times by getting drunk, but the problems still remained. When I faced those problems and truly was able to put them behind me, it was like someone finally turned off the dryer. I could finally experience true Peace. Of. Mind.

          Not only is life "good again", it is even gooder than it was before! =)

          Booze 'worked' for a long time, until it didn't any more. It sounds like it is still 'working' for you. That's fine. Maybe it will continue to work for you. That's fine, too! If it ever stops working, though, I hope you remember this discussion and get help. I have attended too many funerals of people who were unable to seek and accept the help that is available.

          P.S. Correction to my GP comment: Should have been phrased to state that I got to a point where: "When I enjoyed my drinking I could not control it, and when I controlled my drinking, I could not enjoy it."

          P.P.S. tl;dr If it's still working for you, that's fine. Really! Good for you! But, if it ever stop working, there's help.