Beer, wine or liquor? Massive study reveals which was linked to lower death risk
One potential reason for wine’s lower mortality association could be that it contains compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants, which could have beneficial effects on blood vessels, inflammation and cardiovascular health, the researchers noted.
Jessica Steinman, a Los Angeles addiction specialist and chief clinical officer for No Matter What Recovery, said the study’s information is “helpful” but cautioned against broadly applying the findings to individuals, particularly those with a history of substance misuse.
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While certain ingredients or substances might help someone with a specific issue, she expressed her concern when it comes to mental health issues and addiction.
“When we hear these stories or get this research, it becomes a ‘black and white’ larger generalization for the population, and we want to be careful with that,” Steinman, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
Different substances have different levels of alcohol in them, and each person metabolizes alcohol differently, the expert noted. (iStock)
“Not everybody should have daily consumption of an alcoholic substance, whether it’s wine, beer or certain liquors. … If there’s someone who’s struggling with substances, then they really shouldn’t be having it at all.”
Different substances have different levels of alcohol in them, and each person metabolizes alcohol uniquely, the expert noted.
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“All those kinds of things are so specific to one person or a small sect of people,” she said. “So, we want to make sure anytime there’s research given about something, that we’re not taking it as a society and saying, ‘Let’s do this,’ and not keeping it as black and white.
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“Overall, more is not better, but also the higher potency of alcohol and higher percentages of alcohol is going to affect people negatively as well.”
Steinman recommended consulting with a medical professional for individual guidance.
There was the chance that wine drinkers may have different dietary or other lifestyle habits that could impact their health outcomes, the researchers noted. (iStock)
The researchers acknowledged some limitations of the study. Because it was observational in design, the study could not prove that drinking wine led to lower mortality or that other alcoholic beverages directly caused higher mortality.
Also, the participants reported their baseline alcohol intake at the start of the study, which means any changes in drinking patterns during the follow-up period were not recorded.
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There was also the chance that wine drinkers may have different dietary or other lifestyle habits that could affect their health outcomes, the researchers noted.
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The UK Biobank participants also tend to be healthier than the overall population, which could limit the ability for the finding to be generalized to wider populations.
The authors called for high-quality randomized studies to confirm the differences in how drinking habits reflect mortality risk.
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/beer-wine-liquor-massive-study-reveals-linked-lower-death-risk