Are There Health Benefits from Low Levels of Alcohol Consumption?

There have been a number of studies that have appeared to indicate that low levels of alcohol consumption many have some health benefits. This area of research is complicated by potential confounders. For example, it's possible that people who consume low levels of alcohol engage in other behaviours that could improve their overall health, leading to an incorrect assumption about alcohol's role in positive health outcomes. To test this theory, a group of researchers have published a paper titled "Do 'moderate' drinkers have a reduced mortality risk? A systematic review and meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality". The researchers found that estimates of mortality risk from alcohol was significantly altered by the design of particular studies.  When the researchers adjusted their analysis to account for these differences, they found that low-volume alcohol consumption had no positive effect on mortality, when compared with people who consume no alcohol or only occasional alcohol consumption.

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