Does Moderate Alcohol Consumption Confer Health Benefits?

Epidemiologic research conducted in developed nations has shown that moderate alcohol consumption — 1 to 2 drinks daily in men, and 1 drink daily in women — confers overall health benefits. In these studies, one drink generally is defined as consumption of 10 g of pure ethyl alcohol.

In the Global Burden of Diseases study, data were collected from developed and developing nations. Researchers report that all-cause and cancer-related mortality increase linearly with alcohol use, with no protective effect from moderate consumption. However, an apparent protective effect of moderate alcohol intake against ischemic heart disease was noted.