Is any amount of alcohol safe? The myth of the healthy glass of wine
Risky SubstancesKey points
- The level of alcohol use that minimizes overall health harm is zero (GBD 2016).
- Moderate drinking was not linked to lower mortality than never drinking (meta-analysis of 107 studies).
- The risk of death rises above about 100 g of pure alcohol a week (about 7 U.S. drinks).
- Alcohol is a proven carcinogen; cancer risk rises even at low doses.
Myth: a glass of wine a day is good for your heart
For decades, studies seemed to show that moderate drinkers lived longer than nondrinkers, and red wine became a symbol of a healthy lifestyle.
Fact: newer data do not support a benefit
The problem with older studies was the comparison group: “nondrinkers” often included people who had quit because of illness, which made moderate drinkers look healthier.
- Meta-analysis of 107 studies. After correcting for these biases, researchers found that low-volume drinkers did not have lower all-cause mortality than lifetime nondrinkers, and risk rose at higher intakes, especially for women (Zhao et al., 2023).
- Global Burden of Disease. An analysis of 195 countries concluded that the level of alcohol consumption that minimizes overall health loss is zero (GBD 2016 Alcohol Collaborators, 2018).
- Nearly 600,000 drinkers. The risk of death began to rise above about 100 g of alcohol a week, roughly 7 U.S. standard drinks (Wood et al., 2018).
What the WHO and U.S. agencies say
In 2023, WHO Europe stated that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health. In 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General highlighted that alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer.
What it means in practice
- If you do not drink, do not start for health reasons.
- If you drink, less is better.
- Some people should not drink at all: pregnant women, people taking certain medications, people with liver disease or a history of alcohol use disorder, and anyone driving.
How to cut back
- Count your drinks honestly.
- Set alcohol-free days each week.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with water.
- Try nonalcoholic alternatives.
- Use NIAAA’s free “Rethinking Drinking” tools.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a standard drink in the U.S.?
14 grams of pure alcohol: 12 oz of regular beer (5%), 5 oz of wine (12%) or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits.
What do the Dietary Guidelines say?
Adults who drink should limit intake to 2 drinks or fewer a day for men and 1 or fewer for women, and drinking less is better for health than drinking more.
Sources
- Griswold et al. (2018). Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet 392(10152):1015-1035. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31310-2
- Zhao et al. (2023). Association Between Daily Alcohol Intake and Risk of All-Cause Mortality. JAMA Network Open 6(3):e236185. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6185
- Wood et al. (2018). Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies. The Lancet 391(10129):1513-1523. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30134-X
- World Health Organization. No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. www.who.int
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Rethinking Drinking. www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov
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