Sunday, February 23, 2025

From Fun to Fatal: The Serious Side of Casual Drinking

Yonhap News

A recent study reveals that drinking an average of two alcoholic beverages per week can shorten one’s lifespan. The research indicates that individuals who drink one drink a day may see their lifespan reduced by two and a half months.

As reported by the U.K.’s Daily Mail on the 6th, Dr. Tim Stockwell of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research highlighted that over the past five years of research, the belief that drinking is good for health was merely self-consolation.

Dr. Stockwell stated, “Alcohol is generally the recreational drug people enjoy the most. Some people believe that moderate alcohol consumption is good for their health.”

The notion that moderate drinking is beneficial for health stems from the French Paradox, which observes that despite a diet high in fats and substantial wine consumption, French people have a relatively low incidence of heart disease compared to other countries.

However, Dr. Stockwell cautioned that alcohol can damage various organs, including the brain, nervous system, heart, liver, and pancreas. He noted that alcohol itself is a toxin, capable of causing cell damage and inflammation.

Dr. Stockwell asserted that a person who drinks an average of two drinks per week throughout their life could have their lifespan shortened by 3 to 6 days, while someone who drinks one drink a day could have their lifespan shortened by two and a half months.

He also mentioned that a person who drinks five beverages daily could shorten their lifespan by approximately two years. Dr. Stockwell stressed that while these predictions may not apply to everyone, it is necessary to be cautious.

He further pointed out, “The fact that you can drink does not mean you are healthy. Just because you are healthy now doesn’t guarantee that you will remain healthy in the future.”

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