The study appears in the journal PLOS Medicine.Īccording to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), in 2019, 85.6% of individuals in the United States aged 18 years or older reported that they had consumed an alcoholic beverage at one time in their life. However, the authors of the recent study chalk this up to risky behaviors that people abstaining from alcohol engaged in earlier in their lives. However, results of a new study from the University of Greifswald in Germany contradict the idea of drinking alcohol to protect health.Įarlier studies have shown an increased mortality risk in people who abstain from alcohol, compared with individuals who consume low to moderate alcohol amounts. Other studies tout potential health benefits of drinking wine and tequila. Some recent studies have linked moderate alcohol consumption to health benefits, such as lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The study also shows that people who abstain from alcohol and who have no other risk factors, such as smoking or poor self-reported health, are not statistically more likely to die at an early age than those with low to moderate alcohol intake.The researchers found that those who abstain from alcohol may have a higher mortality rate because of risky behaviors in which they engaged earlier in life.A new study contradicts previous findings that link moderate alcohol consumption to health benefits and a longer life.

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