One type of alcoholic drink linked to lower death risk, study finds

(NEXSTAR) – While experts advise avoiding alcohol altogether, a new study says that, among those who imbibe a low or moderate amount, there is a decrease in serious health risks linked to one type of alcoholic drink.

The study, which was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, is based on health data from over 340,000 adults in Britain. Those adults had agreed to take part in the UK Biobank study, a sweeping, large-scale research repository that gathered data on individuals between 2006 and 2022.

“These results come from the general population, and in certain high-risk groups, such as people with chronic diseases or cardiovascular conditions, the risks could be even higher,” senior author of the study, Zhangling Chen, MD, PhD, a professor at the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China, said in a news release.

Using the definition of a drink to mean a 12-ounce beer, 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor, the researchers grouped participants into four groups: never or occasional (about 1.5 drinks per week), low (up to 1.5 drinks daily for men and 75% of a drink each day for women), moderate (up to 3 drinks daily for men and 1.5 drinks for women) and heavy (more than 3 drinks a day for men and more than 1.5 drinks for women).

The heavy drinkers were 36% more likely to die from cancer and 14% more likely to die from heart disease, the study found.

“Differences in risk by alcohol type emerged at low and moderate levels of consumption, where drinking spirits, beer or cider was associated with a significantly higher risk of death while the same level of wine consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of death,” according to an American College of Cardiology news release.

Researchers found that moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who never or occasionally drank. The same can’t be said for spirits, beer or cider, however, as those drinks had a 9% higher risk.

“Our findings help clarify previously mixed evidence on low to moderate alcohol consumption,” Chen said. “These findings can help refine guidance, emphasizing that the health risks of alcohol depend not only on the amount of alcohol consumed, but also on the type of beverage. Even low to moderate intake of spirits, beer or cider is linked to higher mortality, while low to moderate intake of wine may carry lower risk.”

Researchers cautioned that there is still much that isn’t known, and pointed out that wine is more likely to be consumed with food and by people with higher-quality diets and healthier behaviors in general. Wine itself contains compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants that may have positive health impacts.

“Taken together, these factors suggest that the type of alcohol, how it is consumed and the associated lifestyle behaviors all contribute to the observed differences in mortality risk,” Chen said.

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