Moderate Drinking Myths Debunked: The Surprising Truth About Your Daily Glass of Wine

New research reveals that the belief in moderate drinking’s health benefits is based on flawed studies.

These studies often compared drinkers to unhealthy former drinkers, skewing results. A deeper analysis of 107 studies found that higher quality research showed no longevity benefits from moderate drinking. Misconceptions like the “French paradox” contribute to this belief, despite health risks such as increased cancer risk. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption.

Questioning Conventional Wisdom
Probably everyone has heard the conventional wisdom that a glass of wine a day is good for you—or you’ve heard some variation of it. The problem is that it’s based on flawed scientific research, according to a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Over the years, many studies have suggested that moderate drinkers enjoy longer lives with lower risks of heart disease and other chronic ills than abstainers do. That spurred the widespread belief that alcohol, in moderation, can be a health tonic. However, not all studies have painted such a rosy picture—and the new analysis sheds light on why.