This study pointed out a disturbing flaw in previous studies. (I find this surprising in its ineptness). “…many studies tend to place former drinkers in the same group as lifetime abstainers, referring to them all as "non-drinkers," Stockwell said. But former drinkers typically have given up or cut down on alcohol because of health problems, Stockwell said. The new analysis found that former drinkers actually have a 22% higher risk of death compared to abstainers. Their presence in the "non-drinker" group biases the results, creating the illusion that light daily drinking is healthy, Stockwell said.“ https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-alcohol-health-benefits.html
I haven't followed it for a while, but when I did, it was clear that occasional drinkers outlive Teetotalers. The problem is moderate drinking means different things to different people. What alcoholic beverage you drink matters too, and the contest in which it is consumed matters. I read one study that found moderate cigar and pipe smokers outlived nonsmokers and were generally happier. That was not what the researchers wanted or expected to find, so no follow up studies were done. I guess they were afraid it would confirmed the original findings.
I would submit that the risk is 100% for both groups. That being said, I was a heavy drinker and quit when I was 36 years old. I'll be 69 soon. I really hate garbage disguised as science.
My dear ol' grandpappy lived to be 104. (They say) I don't think they even had birth certificates back when he was born. I never saw him drunk but I doubt if I ever saw him totally sober, either. He took a drink off and on all day, I think. Mama told him, "Daddy, drinking is gon' kill you." It finally did at 104. On the other hand, my other grandfather never drank. He died before I was even born.
I would like to think that this is an exception rather than a pattern, but it seems that life has its own rules that we cannot understand
So the article states that drinking alcohol brings no health benefits. I doubt that anyone is surprised. No amount of "scientific data" (that seems to change weekly) is going to matter to people who want an occasional drink.
But just ask any climate change advocates whether the same applies to a planetary climate system and they’ll scold you for not realizing you can tell the future with correlation analysis and computer models. Unique planetary climate system, no ability to conduct controlled experiments much less repeat them…hey, no problem, we got this, just give us the money.
Maybe occasional drinking is no benefit to ones health, but then again maybe it is. Life is too short to take the chance that it isn't. The health benefits of moderate drinking are secondary and overlooked by most schooled researchers. From my own research, I can tell you that after sharing a pitcher of dark local made microbrew with Zek that sex was exemplary as compared to no alcohol and just great sex. It is an scientific fact that multi organisms in a 24 hour period lead to better heart health as compared to none or an occasional one. Since Zek died my health has been on the decline and while that might be attributed to aging, my health was failing before I became sexually involved with him and over the next few years of frequent sex, showed steady improvement. Now that is documented science. So moderate drinking can act as a secondary benefit to ones health as we age as long as one has a sexual partner.
Oh, Shirley I am so sorry to hear that. I hear that a lot from older women whose husbands have petered out on them. (No pun intended)
I remember hearing a cute little rhyme, something about… “Friends may come and friends may go Friends may peter out you know But peter out or peter in …” Can’t remember the rest.