A new large-scale study from the United Kingdom involving around 341,000 participants, not yet published but described by HealthDay, has examined the relationship between alcohol and health.
Participants were followed for more than 13 years, during which their drinking habits and health were recorded.
The study shows that different types of alcohol are often associated with different lifestyles.
People who drink beer, cider, or spirits more often have less healthy habits, such as a poor diet, less exercise, and smoking.
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Alcohol does not only affect the body directly but is also linked to other factors that influence health.
Risk of disease
The results show that high alcohol consumption increases the risk of dying earlier.
The risk of premature death was 24 percent higher among people with high consumption compared with those who drank little or not at all.
At the same time, the risk of dying from cancer was 36 percent higher, and the risk of heart disease was 14 percent higher.
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Even at low consumption of beer, cider, and spirits, researchers observed an increased risk of heart disease. This suggests that even small amounts may have an impact.
Differences between types of alcohol
The study indicates that the type of alcohol also plays a role. Wine was the only beverage that, in some cases, was associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
People who drank a moderate amount of wine had a lower risk of death from heart disease, which may be due both to compounds found in wine and to a generally healthier lifestyle.
The main conclusion is therefore that both the amount and the type of alcohol matter for health.
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Sources: HealthDay.