No, just 1 glass of wine a day is NOT good for your health — despite what 'health' sites might recommend

If you perform a quick Google search for “health benefits of drinking”, you’re immediately presented with an AI-generated list of seemingly positive notes, such as “Weight management” and “Improves athletic performance”. But it is highly unlikely you’ll see PV Sindhu or Neeraj Chopra sipping on some Fratelli Sette before their Olympics matches this year.

It isn’t even just a vintage myth being peddled by the alcoholic uncles at family parties either; many popular health websites such as WebMD and Healthline even endorse the “healthiness” of consuming small amounts of alcohol daily, meaning that there is indeed scientific research to back this up.

Many of these studies suggest that moderate drinkers — those who enjoy a drink or two per day — might live longer and have healthier hearts than those who abstain. It may be a comforting thought, especially after a long day, but the narrative has more holes than a Swiss cheese pairing, according to substance use expert Tim Stockwell.

The problem with past research

Stockwell’s recent deep dive reveals that many of these studies suffer from significant design flaws. They often focus on older adults, comparing moderate drinkers with a grab-bag group of "abstainers" and "occasional drinkers" — including those who may have quit or reduced their drinking due to health issues. In short, the folks still hitting happy hour might just look healthier because their less fortunate peers had to hang up their drinking hats.
Stockwell and his team analysed 107 studies tracking people’s drinking habits over time. Initially, it seemed light to moderate drinkers enjoyed a 14% lower risk of death compared to abstainers. However, when they sifted through the studies with a finer mesh — focusing on those with younger participants and distinguishing between lifelong teetotalers and former drinkers — the supposed benefits of moderate drinking evaporated.

Turns out, the alcoholic advantages were primarily highlighted in the not-so-great studies, where distinctions between different types of abstainers were blurred. “If you look at the weakest studies,” Stockwell says, “that’s where you see health benefits.”

No “safe” drinking habits

Stockwell’s research therefore argues that moderate drinking doesn’t extend life and might even pose health risks, including increased cancer risks. No major health organisation endorses a risk-free level of alcohol consumption, and for good reason. “There is simply no completely ‘safe’ level of drinking,” Stockwell asserts.
The notion that moderate drinking leads to a longer, healthier life has been a staple of public consciousness for decades. Stockwell even brings up the “French paradox", a 1990s darling that suggested that red wine was the reason behind the French having lower heart disease rates, despite their indulgent diets. However, many have asserted that this illusion could be due to many factors, such as the fact that the French walk a lot, eat tons of healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, and drink a lot of water.

So next time you hear the siren call of the wine bottle, think twice before toasting to your health. It seems that the tale of the beneficial daily glass might just be a tall one. Raise a glass to critical thinking instead — perhaps filled with something a bit less intoxicating.

The findings of this research have been published in Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs and can be accessed here.