Alcohol has no health benefits

Question

New research found that more than 100 previous studies on alcohol consumption and health were flawed. - Videos from The Weather Channel | weather.com

Are there zero health benefits to drinking alcohol in any amount?

Comments

I think this can be true and false. Multiple studies have shown that beer has many more calories than other types of liquor. If you want to drink without gaining the beer belly, stick to the clear liquors.

Answer 1

Although alcohol consumption is harmful, the claim that it has no health benefits is exaggerated. The article/video's title exaggerates the evidence they got from JAMA Network Open. They didn't link the evidence nor qualified researchers. The evidence from jamanetwork (link below) talks about the risk of mortality from alcohol intake, not the health benefits of alcohol. Even though JAMA Network is a reliable source, weather.com doesn't properly give evidentiary support, and instead exaggerates it.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802963#:~:text=Findings%20This%20systematic%20review%20and,or%20more%20grams%20per%20day.

Answer 2

Newer research (like the 2023 study in JAMA Network Open) shows that earlier studies claiming health benefits from moderate drinking were inadequate, primarily due to poor controls for lifestyle factors. Now, most experts agree there’s no truly safe level of alcohol, and any likely benefits are overpowered by the risks, especially for cancer and heart disease.