Study: Abstaining from alcohol significantly shortens life
New research shows that those who imbibe are less likely to die than those who stay dry.
Photo: Al404/Flickr
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Note that this site is sponsored by MillerCoors - look at the bottom of the page. This is dangerous and misleading pseudoscience with the single motive of corporate profit
Hmmmm. The site is also sponsored by 13 other corporations.......that's not a smoking gun. Now, if MillerCoors had funded the STUDY, you might have something worth looking into.
Sorry, no cigar for you.
Hey, guess what, we're all going to die! And then an eternity of non-existence. In fact, it is our natural state to be "dead" and this "life" is but a few decades of a dream. I can't recall the first 13 billion years before I was born, and I won't be aware of the next 13 billion after I die. So fuch it, have a drink!
You are right Ding. Have a drink and live live now. This is the only life we know to exist. All other forms of life in "outer space" are pure speculation!!!!!! Life beyond the stars?!! It is cold out there....so live it warm here!!!
so being an alcoholic will make you live longer....RIGHT
1to 3 drinks a day, and that you call modorate? I call that heavy drinking.
Methinks that Anonymous doth earnestly and reasonably protest too much. Interesting that Dr. Holahan has also done some tobacco-related research (maybe a firearms study will be next?)
Short of finding that the research was sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, the phrase "the effect of confounding factors associated with alcohol abstention is considerable" is enough for me to write this 2010 study off.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a magnum of '97 cabernet..
You might write off this study, but you can't reasonably write off the hundreds of other studies that report the same results!
Drunk drivers kill the equivalent of a 757 crashing once a week in the U.S alone. Please don't take this study as anything but fluff from the alcohol industry.
Darwinism at work.
I don't think the study said they were driving while stupidly drunk and lived longer.
The chemical companies could say that people with bleach under their kitchen sink have cleaner houses, which leads to a better social life, but that has nothing to do with how many deaths a year come from stupid people that use those chemicals to make meth.
What they didn't say was that you can get the same amount of daily anti-oxidants and vital minerals from other things like colorful vegetables.... More
Both the evidence as well as logic suggests that this study is not "fluff from the alcohol industry."
The research on drinking does overwhelmingly report that moderate alcohol consumption is related to better health and longevity than is either abstaining or drinking heavily. So is there alcohol industry influence on these results?
If alcohol producers want consumers to drink more, the research would NOT appear to be helpful. It rather consistently finds that a number of health.... More
timothy ch.5 vs. 23--drink no longer water but drink wine.
"less likely to die" -- pour me another glass
Where do these "researchers" come from???? I never heard so much stupidity!!! Who are they "following" in their research? America is going downhill fast ;(
DRINK WATER IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE
XD WHAT A JOKE! My gradmother never had a drop of WINE even and she lived till she was in her 80's! We're still not even sure quite how she died (it might have been cancer, starvation, or illness), but she lasted a month in hospice with whatever she had! Also, I'm turning 19 in September, and I am still asked if I am 16! Alcohol does nothing to help you. Maybe red wine can help, but studies have also shown that other alcohol can contribute to cancer. As for it "relaxing" you, that is true, but.... More
In the article the researchers were clear to stipulated they believe the socializing, and not the alcohol, is the life extension culprit. Other research have concluded as much. I wonder if they controlled for "race" or culture.
i don't think being 19 and being confused for a 16 year old is a big difference....now if you were 25 maybe. and it's a study, there are percentages and there are always outliers. like your grandmother. it's just saying that MOST people live longer lives. my grandmother lived to be 105 and smoked a pack a day since she was 15. explain that. lol
Yes, that point about her grandmother's age being in her 80's as somehow being remarkable caught my attention as well. For her information, the average life-span for women in the USA is 81.
And I should also mention that by comparison to other countries in the world, the US comes in 38th - with Japan leading them all with an average lifespan for women of 86, meaning there's nothing at all remarkable about her grandmother dying in her early 80's (if it had been or 88 or.... More
Moderate alcohol consumption tends to relax people, a glass or two of red wine is good for a variety of reasons. Overindulgence as per usual is what messes you up. So enjoy a beer or two, have some wine with dinner it's okay.
What if you are an alcoholic?
Drink grape juice which has the benefits of wine without the alcohol!!
Grape juice does not provide the benefits of wine without the alcohol, because the primary benefit of alcoholic beverages (including wine) comes from the alcohol itself.
Research has examined the relative health benefits of drinking beer, wine and spirits in moderation. About 30% of studies have found that beer is the most healthful, about 30% have found that wine is the most beneficial, about 30% have found that spirits confer the most health benefits, and about 10% have found no.... More
Then you better watch out for a big stomach and liver diease!!!!!!!!!!!
Duh! University of Texas at Austin
Research done at my alma mater, no less!
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
its a topsy turvy world,wrong info couched in subtle language does not change what is obvious,alcohol is not good for your health.period.
Closing your eyes to the scientific medical evidence will not make it disappear!
Hmmm. I'm skeptical although I do believe a little red wine is good for the stomach. Having said that, I eschew alcohol to a large degree. I am only 43, but have outlasted peers of mine who were heavy drinkers that are gone way too soon.
"New research shows that those who imbibe are less likely to die than those who stay dry." - Seriously? Who wrote this sentence? Did they honestly thing that death was preventable in some way?
OK, I'm wondering now if they've included any alcoholics into their study...Com'a, you're trying to convince me ppl binging on drinks are going to have healthier livers?! hardly make sense.
In this case, am I to understand there's any alcohol companies financing this research and many other similar ones?
Stacey-
You are wise to be suspicious of almost any claims found in the news. Many groups have an economic, ideological, political or other interest in influencing public opinion. The research on drinking overwhelmingly reports that moderate alcohol consumption is related to better health and longevity than is either abstaining or drinking heavily. So is there alcohol industry influence on these results?
If alcohol producers want consumers to drink more, the research wouldn’t.... More
"New research shows that those who imbibe are less likely to die than those who stay dry."
Wow! And I thought it was 100% sure that we all are going to die.
Who knew that drinking may allow you to live forever!
How she should have written this...
"New research shows that those who imbibe are likely to live longer than those who stay dry."
it is so impotant to know, that drinking is not so dangerous , as i think before. new research helps us to be in the heavens all the time
some people just have a really negative attitude towards alcohol. as it was stated in the results, the probable reason why it helps people live so well is by helping maintain the mental health of a person through being a good social lubricant. now, just the same as cannabis, all things taken in excess is bad for you. who can really say that cannabis and alcohol really does not have advantages. only idiots will use these studies to justify the abuse of these substances.
There's not enough information provided in the article to draw any real conclusions from this study. For all we know the average life expectancy of the non-drinkers group may well be higher then that of the drinking groups. I'd be interested to look at the control variables used and how they were accounted for. It might also be useful to look at the VARIANCE within the three groups, not just 'those who died prematurely'.
This study, along with the hundreds of others from around the world using different research designs with different populations and wide variety of controls, does permit us to conclude that social drinking leads to better health and reduces the risk of premature death.
I take medication on a daily basis and therefore cannot consume alcohol. I am 74 years old. Does this research mean I am going to die at a young age?
This is just what I mean! What is the point in this reseach when you think about it like this...and of course like me
.I have been sober 12 years .I woke up in the morning feeling happy and greatful for this and the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes that being sober shortens my life. Well...I know that if I drunk even once my life might end the same day!
This makes me feel frustraiting (maybe not the best word) and worried for young people starting to drink and reading these.... More
i agree with you ani. this is a very irrisponsible report and does nothing more than encourage a drinking culture that is way out of control in the first place. i have been sober 3 and a half years. it took everything from me, family, home and nearly my job but i turned things around. if i picked up a drink again i may never put it down so to drink for me is to die. i think i`ll take my chances with water and soft drinks thanks.
There is absolutely nothing irresponsible about conducting research on important subjects such as alcohol and health/longevity. The topic has long been dominated by religion and ideology rather than by empirical search evidence.
Alcohol never causes loss of family, job, house, etc., but the ABUSE of alcohol can. Of course, those who can't drink in moderation shouldn't drink at all and the study doesn't suggest that they do.
I cannot consume alcohol because of medication I must take on a daily basis. Should I worry about an early death? I am 74 years old.
Lou,
This is just one thing that I wanted to bring into conversation (I guess I mensioned about this subject in finnish forum today).
And my answer to you is defanetly not!!
Thank you for pointing this out:)
Nobody's mentioned moderation. We can handle toxins in moderation. Alcohol is a strong poison, but it does have health benefits (calms nerves in a crisis; disinfectant). There are alternatives: deep breathing also calms nerves in a crisis, for example. The problem is the $$$ as always - you're all right, the alcohol companies are 'tobacco executives recycled.' Enjoy some tipple, organic if you can, and if you get a hangover you had too much.
Nice.This just made my day! Today I have been sober for 12 years and the first thing I see on the internet is this study. I have been hearing this explanation for years from people who should not drink at all (for various reasons)...and for that reason studies like this trying to claim that drinking is good should be illegal by law...I am very serious about this!
Alcohol is a drug that causes the most and unwanted side effects in the whole world. Like here in Finland the studies show that there are VERY high persent of people who have that gene called the' alcohol gene' and unfortunately it causes deaths (in many ways and effects many peole in a very sad way)...studies also show that for example here in Finland it touches more then 80 persent people in an unwanted way.So I see no reason to bring up any good effects about any drug.J ust think about.... More
