WHY SO MANY WOMEN ARE CHOOSING TO GO Alcohol-free

More and more research reveals the dangers of drinkingespecially as we age. Here's what you need to know

- STACEY COLINO

UNTIL RECENTLY, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol was thought to be healthy for your heart and brain, and maybe other aspects of health. But the message has changed, with the World Health Organization declaring in 2023 that no amount of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. If you feel like you’re experiencing informational whiplash, you’re hardly alone.

So what’s the real story? It’s complicated. For one thing, recent studies have called into question the findings of earlier ones that suggested alcohol is beneficial for cardiovascular health. “The evidence became murkier,” says Alison Moore, M.D., MPH, a professor of medicine and director of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the Center for Healthy Aging at UC San Diego. Indeed, newer research suggests that women who enjoy more than one alcoholic beverage per day are more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who drink less. And a study involving 107,845 adults in Europe found that consuming 1.2 drinks per day—an amount that’s considered “moderate”—is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (a heart arrhythmia that can lead to stroke or heart failure).

For another thing, alcohol is now recognized as a carcinogen and its consumption has been linked to cancers of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver and colon. Recent research also suggests that alcohol consumption may accelerate genetic aging. Together, these findings have led some health organizations to change their recommendations.

But the U.S. Dietary Guidelines still advise women who drink alcohol to limit their intake to one drink per day or less (men should have a maximum of two drinks per day). To be clear, this recommendation is aimed at reducing risks associated with drinking alcohol, not to improve your health. So if you don’t already consume alcohol, the latest research shows that there isn’t a health-related reason to start.