Is alcohol harmful from the first glass?

There is increasing scientific evidence that alcohol can be harmful from the first drink.

Although moderate alcohol consumption has long been seen as relatively safe or even beneficial for certain aspects of health, recent studies show that any amount of alcohol can pose health risks.

Already in 2018, a study published from The Lancet claimed that the safest amount of alcohol consumption is zero. The study analyzed data from nearly 600,000 drinkers worldwide and found that even one glass of alcohol per day can increase the risk of health problems such as cancer and cardiovascular disease:

Other studies have confirmed that even low levels of alcohol consumption can contribute to an increased risk of several types of cancer, such as breast cancer and colon cancer.

These findings support the statement that alcohol can be harmful from the first drink and that there is no safe limit for alcohol consumption. This does not mean that drinking one glass of alcohol will lead to cancer, but daily use is not recommended.

Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31310-2/fulltext

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.13477

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2022-12-09 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024