A study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session tracking more than 340,000 adults for over a decade has shown which alcohol is better for your health.
Low to moderate drinking of beer, cider, and spirits were linked to higher mortality, while wine was associated with lower risk. Moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with people who rarely or never drank. In contrast, even low levels of spirits, beer or cider consumption were associated with a 9% higher risk of cardiovascular death compared with drinking never or occasionally.
The researchers also found that heavy drinking increased the risk of death regardless of beverage type.
People consuming less than 20 g (about 1.5 standard drinks) per week were classified as never or occasional drinkers. Men consuming between 20 g per week and 20 g per day and women consuming between 20 g per week and 10 g per day were considered to have low alcohol consumption. Daily consumption of 20 g to 40 g (about 1.5 to three standard drinks) for men and 10 g to 20 g for women was considered moderate. Daily consumption of more than 40 g (about three drinks) for men and 20 g (about 1.5 drinks) for women was considered high.
The findings, based on data from more than 340,000 adults in Britain, support earlier evidence suggesting that lower alcohol consumption is generally better for health. They also offer a closer look at how low and moderate drinking may be associated with different outcomes depending on whether people consume wine, beer, cider or spirits.
“Our findings help clarify previously mixed evidence on low to moderate alcohol consumption,” said Zhangling Chen, MD, PhD, a professor at the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China and the study’s senior author. “These findings can help refine guidance, emphasising that the health risks of alcohol depend not only on the amount of alcohol consumed, but also on the type of beverage. Even low to moderate intake of spirits, beer or cider is linked to higher mortality, while low to moderate intake of wine may carry lower risk.”
Why Wine Could Be The Best Choice
Several factors could help explain why the results differed by beverage type, according to the researchers. Red wine contains compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants, which may provide cardiovascular benefits.
Drinking habits and lifestyle may also play an important role. Wine is more often consumed with meals. Spirits, beer and cider are more commonly consumed outside of meals and were associated with poorer overall diet quality and other lifestyle risk factors. “Taken together, these factors suggest that the type of alcohol, how it is consumed and the associated lifestyle behaviours all contribute to the observed differences in mortality risk,” Chen said.
