Researchers analyzing more than 340,000 adults uncovered an intriguing pattern linking alcohol type with long-term health outcomes.
For decades, scientists have debated whether some alcoholic drinks are “healthier” than others. While heavy drinking is widely known to raise the risk of serious diseases and early death, the effects of lighter drinking have remained far less clear — especially when it comes to wine, beer, cider, and spirits.
Now, a major study involving more than 340,000 adults in the United Kingdom suggests that the type of alcohol people drink may influence long-term health outcomes at low to moderate levels of consumption. The findings, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26), add new nuance to growing evidence that when it comes to alcohol and health, both quantity and beverage choice may matter.
“These results come from the general population, and in certain high-risk groups, such as people with chronic diseases or cardiovascular conditions, the risks could be even higher,” said Zhangling Chen, MD, PhD, a professor at the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China and the study’s senior author.
Beverage type changed the picture
Researchers examined drinking patterns and mortality outcomes for 340,924 adults who took part in the UK Biobank study from 2006 to 2022. When participants joined the study, they completed a dietary questionnaire and were assigned to one of four alcohol intake groups based on grams of pure alcohol consumed per day and per week.
For comparison, a 12 ounce beer, a 5 ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5 ounce serving of spirits each contain roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol. People who drank less than 20 g (about 1.5 standard drinks) per week were categorized as never or occasional drinkers.
