Conventional wisdom has held that drinking a little each day can help you live longer, but now new research suggests that may not be true.
Research from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research found drinking less than an ounce of alcohol did not result in a longer life-span compared to people who don’t drink, per Fox News.
Now it’s thought no amount of alcohol benefits a person overall.
A Massachusetts General Hospital study pointed to a potential reason why it may have been thought previously alcohol had some benefits. This large study used information from the U.K. Biobank and included 371,463 adults. Among the adults who lived healthier lives, there was some modest consumption of alcohol. But the study also found consumption of alcohol may not be responsible for the alleged health benefits.
Other habits like diet and exercise explain more of the health benefits. A 2018 study reported on by NPR said the safest amount of alcohol to consume is none. Other researchers like those from Oxford University have reached similar conclusions.
But this doesn’t mean people will give up drinking. According to NPR, social acceptance of alcohol is at an all-time high. Reversing those cultural norms would be an uphill climb, but there are some who are trying to launch a new temperance movement.
As Fendi Wang wrote in Deseret Magazine Gen Z and millennials are actively looking for alcohol-free alternatives to drinks and bars, which has led to the development of mocktail bars. A San Francisco speakeasy known as Temperance Bar is an example of this type of phenomenon — an alcohol free bar chock full of creative drinks.
Business Insider also reported on the rise of mocktail bars and how drink companies are pivoting to offering nonalcoholic versions of their current drinks. “Consumers have picked up on the growing nonalcoholic beverage market, too. Nonalcoholic spirit sales nearly doubled in 2022, according to Nielsen IQ data, far surpassing the sales increases of nonalcoholic wine and beer.”
As Gen Zers and millennials embrace mocktails and sobriety, maybe conventional wisdom will shift.