- New research shows that light drinking has no protective effect against endocrine conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.
- Heavy drinking is associated with a host of negative health outcomes.
- Underlying health conditions can exacerbate the risks posed by drinking.
- Experts say that the only truly safe amount of alcohol is no alcohol.
A new study indicates that light drinking provides no protective effect against developing endocrine conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The research was published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Researchers said their findings showed no benefits to alcohol consumption — even light to moderate drinking — when it comes to endocrine conditions.
Experts interviewed by Medical News Today say the research serves as a reminder that the only safe amount of alcohol is no alcohol at all.
It’s well understood that heavy drinking is unhealthy and a
However, conventional wisdom states that light drinking — such as a glass of wine a day — has health benefits.
Dr. Tianyuan Lu, the lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, told Medical News Today that the data provides compelling evidence that light drinking provides no protective benefits.
“Heavy drinking has been associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, which is what we confirmed in this study,” Lu said. “However, there has been a long-standing debate on whether light drinking has protective effects. Our study found that light drinking does not protect against obesity or type 2 diabetes.”
The researchers pulled data from more than 400,000 study participants from the U.K. Biobank.
Researchers reported that people who drank more than 14 drinks per week had higher risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Among those who drank 7 or fewer drinks in a week, there was no evidence of improved health outcomes.
Lu cautioned that while the…
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