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Alcohol: Toxic in any amount, or beneficial in moderation, or does it depend on the person?

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2

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  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    @kimny72 it is a fair assessment i think of the study. and you wrote it better than i could
  • anothermfpuser
    anothermfpuser Posts: 84 Member
    edited August 2018
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    A couple of the major issues I have with this study (in addition to the clickbait drama sound bites the study authors used to talk about it)-

    First, it is still largely showing correlation, if I'm understanding it correctly. They aren't saying alcohol 100% caused all the deaths and diseases noted, just that people who drink are more likely to end up with one of them.

    Second, they are including things like alcohol related violence and accidents, which isn't about "drinking alcohol", it's about "drinking alcohol irresponsibly". And I believe that any health conditions that are strongly linked to alcohol are at least usually linked to excessive drinking. I wonder what those statistics would look like if you were just looking at numbers for men drinking 1 or 2 per day and women drinking 1 per day, minus those who did so while driving or cleaning their guns. How many of those included in the study just had a glass of wine or a finger of Scotch while watching TV at night? How many of the bad outcomes were people drinking in excess, people who drank and drove or other stupid activities, and people who already had mental illness or violent lives and added alcohol to that mix?

    Third, the bar graphs show that the vast majority of people drink some amount of alcohol. Isn't it possible that the small minority who never drink also never do lots of other things? I mean, if you did this study in Pennsylvania, a part of that 10% would be Amish, and they don't have cars or use anything electronic, grow a lot of their own food, and they rarely travel outside of their hometown. So if they live longer, is it because they don't drink, or is it one of the other things they don't do? (Not to say there aren't people who live completely typical lives and just choose not to drink, but statistically, that 10% includes people who abstain for moral or religious reasons and quite possibly make lots of other choices differently from the 90%).

    To be fair, another thread made me rather stabby last night and I am taking it out on this study :lol: I probably just need a beer...

    Love this post SO much.

    Those that are unable to drink responsibly should not.

    The comment: "no amount of alcohol is good for you" can be placed in almost any context depending on personal situations and beliefs. Wonder how much chocolate cake / ice cream / McDonalds / red meat / chicken / wheat products / soday / sugar / fat / non-fat / non-GMO / non-organic / exercise / no exercise / non whatever / is good for you?

  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Cleosweetie wrote: »
    Thanks Orphia for creating this board! I've been following the discussion on the other boards; it is an interesting one.

    Here are my random thoughts:

    If I hear that a person "drinks every day," my immediate reaction upon hearing that is that that person is veering very close to having a potentially problematic relationship with alcohol. I suppose there's always going to be a little old lady out there who truly does have just one 5 ounce glass of sherry in the evening, but my suspicion is that she would be the exception, rather than the rule. For the daily drinker, it's usually more than one drink, sometimes way more.

    But I am open to hearing differing opinions about this.

    And since we're citing studies, my understanding was always that per the federal government dietary guidelines, for women, drinking more than seven drinks per week (5 ounces counting as one glass of wine) puts you in the "heavy drinker" category. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-9/

    Is the "7 drinks per week" guideline in dispute? Perhaps some would say that it is too much-- and in order to be a "moderate drinker," it really should be fewer drinks than 7.

    Once again, I'd love to hear others' views on this.

    I am not a little old lady :smiley: and I will have one glass of wine or one beer with dinner often. I don't think that is all that rare. Most of the people in my family since I was a child have done so, and my in-laws and friends I often have dinner with as well. Maybe it depends on where you're from?

    Just dropping in to reinforce the bolded - I too usually have a glass of wine in the evening. I even measure out 5 oz., because I have a terrible eye for quantity.

    I also agree with others that context and dosage matter.
  • Cleosweetie
    Cleosweetie Posts: 71 Member
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    https://www.thedailybeast.com/no-alcohol-is-the-only-safe-amount-of-alcohol-for-you-study-says

    Here's another clickbait headline for you, @kimny72! :)

    It will be interesting/amusing to see all the different angles on this study. FYI, apparently the Gates Foundation funded it.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    Waste of calories to me personally. To think I used to brew! LOL
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,679 Member
    edited September 2018
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    I don’t have any hard-won research (so you may ignore me if you wish), but I had a nurse (not a doctor, but still someone full of smarts) give it to me straight “I don’t think you should drink.” As in, not even half a sip/please stay completely dry.* Of course, that implies that I have countless medical reasons to abstain, so be dry I will. That puts me in the “toxic in any amount” camp (and makes me wish I could politely ask the world to do the same, but I can’t and that’s alright by me-this (well, where I am) is America! Land of the free, home of the brave because of the brave.)
    *In addition to the above persuasion/knowledge of my specific health risks, I am also aware of moral, social and public safety implications that push me even further into the dry side.
    Edited to squash an exhaustion-fueled typo
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    Derpes wrote: »
    “I feel sorry for people that don't drink, because when they wake up in the morning, that is the best they are going to feel all day-”

    ― Frank Sinatra

    My favorite quote.

  • Agefyter18
    Agefyter18 Posts: 14 Member
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    I drink wine every day. A glass while cooking dinner and a glass (or 2!) with dinner and later in the evening. I'm not a little old lady or an alcoholic. I rarely eat sweets and do not eat desserts or ice cream. Everything in moderation. 🍷 Cheers!

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