Posted on 07/28/2024 10:04:56 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Probably everyone has heard the conventional wisdom that a glass of wine a day is good for you. The problem is that it's based on flawed scientific research, according to a report.
However, not all studies have painted such a rosy picture—and the new analysis sheds light on why.
In a nutshell, studies linking moderate drinking to health benefits suffer from fundamental design flaws, said Tim Stockwell, Ph.D.
The major issue: Those studies have generally focused on older adults and failed to account for people's lifetime drinking habits. So moderate drinkers were compared with "abstainer" and "occasional drinker" groups that included some older adults who had quit or cut down on drinking because they'd developed any number of health conditions.
"That makes people who continue to drink look much healthier by comparison," Stockwell said.
And, he noted, looks are deceiving.
Stockwell and his colleagues identified 107 published studies. When the researchers combined all the data, it looked like light to moderate drinkers (that is, those who drank between one drink per week and two per day) had a 14% lower risk of dying during the study period compared with abstainers.
Things changed, however, when the investigators did a deeper dive. There were a handful of "higher quality" studies that included people who were relatively young at the outset (younger than 55, on average) and that made sure former and occasional drinkers were not considered "abstainers." In those studies, moderate drinking was not linked to a longer life.
Instead, it was the "lower quality" studies (older participants, no distinction between former drinkers and lifelong abstainers) that did link moderate drinking to greater longevity.
"If you look at the weakest studies," Stockwell said, "that's where you see health benefits."
In reality, he said, moderate drinking likely does not extend people's lives.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“The problem is that it’s based on flawed scientific research, according to a report.”
Your meta study Mr. PhD is beyond flawed!
One suspects that "debunks" is a bit over-hearalded, and that "disagrees with" is a more appropriate term, until more epi including meta studies are completed, reviewed and published.
Some complex interactions need to be examined, including shifts in diet to include more seed oils and carbohydrates and the potential contribution alcohol-related longevity effects. Also, which forms of alcohol?
Johnny Carson
Life isn’t about how long you live, it’s about how MUCH you live. You don’t want to get to the old folks home and have nothing to talk about. Live it up!
Did you stop eating steak?
Wife: you drink too much.
Me: that’s not really a thing.
Ha ha.
You’ve nailed my problem with the medical establishment that hands out meds like they’re cure-all and have no repercussions of their own.
It’s too hard to get people to eat right and exercise. I get it, though. It takes discipline. Sometimes I’m better at disciplining myself than other times.
>> Let’s see, they all died early deaths ... actually no.
👍🏻
I wonder what is the health impact of obsessing over everything that one eats and drinks?
When I read the study referred to all those years ago I laughed and said they’ll shoot this down if it kills them. They being the retards that made McDonald’s change their fry oil etc… This is like the third study I can recall seeing to attack the old ‘two drinks a day study’.
Johnny always made me laugh.
If your wife would join you in the drinking department, both of you might just have some fun! ;)
>> Alcohol is the most readily available drug available to mankind
The judge(s) just ruled that if it ain’t readily available you can make your own!
There’s a lot more in wine(and beer) than just alcohol. Some of it may be beneficial.
How about all the unknown winemakers? You know. The ones who died at 30, 40 or 50! lol
FR's addicts and alcoholics are loathe to admit such. But, you're right. That's why the root word in intoxicant is toxic. Intoxicant.
If Jesus agreed, He would not have turned water into wine at Cana.
Poisons are substaces that kill in small doses.
Did Jesus intentionally poison the wedding guests at Cana?
I’ll give it a shot. Ha, ha.
Similar to the flaws in vegetarian studies.
The morbidly obese person in the checkout line ahead of you with a cart full of processed, mostly junk foods and a carton of smokes is not a vegetarian.
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