Good News for Moderate Drinkers and a Happy New Year!

It is rare to find good news about drinking so let’s end the year with some positive news about moderate alcoholic beverage consumption.  The operative word here is moderate.

Time magazine’s John Cloud reported on an article in the journal Alcoholism:  Clinical and Experimental Research suggesting that – for reasons that aren’t entirely clear – abstaining from alcohol increases the risk of dying, even when former problem drinkers are excluded.  (Alcoholics Anonymous says that abstainers include former hard-core drunks who already have health problems, hence the exclusion.)  The article generated spirited response pro and con since its publication in 2010 continuing to the present day.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, lead by psychologist Charles Holahan, followed 1,824 participants for 20 years.  Even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables, they found that moderate drinkers outlived abstainers and heavy drinkers.  The abstainers actually had the highest mortality rate.  Even heavy drinkers outlived the abstainers.  Perhaps moderate drinkers are more social, less depressed, and have better mental and physical health.  The researchers do warn, however, that everything has a price, including moderate drinking.  It is worth reading and provides a link to the research paper.

At WineAndSpirits.com we believe in moderation in everything and we do not encourage anyone to take risks or abuse alcohol in any way.  Especially, we urge our readers not to drink and drive.  We wish everyone a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous 2014.