Alcohol in its various forms is a staple in the diets of many across the globe. In fact, it\u2019s estimated that 2.4 billion individuals consume alcohol on a regular basis. Could it be that something so common to so many is one of the greatest risk factors for death and disability? Well, if we take a look at the the Alameda County Health study that revealed the seven factors that promote health and longevity, you\u2019ll notice that limiting alcohol consumption is one of them:<\/p>
The study stated that \u201cmoderate\u201d or no use of\nalcohol was good for health, but recent studies have revealed that no amount of\nalcohol is the safest for human health. <\/p>
The dangers of alcohol<\/strong><\/p> Let\u2019s cut to the chase. Alcohol use is\nresponsible for 2.5 million years of potential life lost, cutting short the\nlives of those that died at an average of 30 years old. Other risk factors that\nalcohol consumption elevates are: <\/p> With a list as long and sobering (pun intended)\nas this, it\u2019s baffling that alcohol isn\u2019t banned entirely. The pain and untold\nsorrow that alcohol-related tragedies have caused are innumerable; it\u2019s unsurprising\nthat avoiding alcohol is one of the easiest ways to prolong health and abundant\nlife. <\/p> No amount of alcohol is safe<\/strong><\/p> The Lancet<\/em>\nrecently published a study recapping the 2016 Global Burden of Disease, Injury,\nand Risk Factors Study, in which researchers complied data quantifying the deaths\nattributed to alcohol and disability-adjusted life-years for 195 locations from\n1990 to 2016. From there, it was determined that alcohol was responsible for\n10% of deaths of individuals between the ages of 15 to 45 years old. Stunning,\nisn\u2019t it? <\/p> Alcohol is also the seventh leading risk factor\nfor death and disability-adjusted life-years. 2<\/sup>. Researchers also\nfound that the risk of alcohol consumption increases with use of alcohol and\nthat the level of consumption that minimizes health loss is zero. These finding\nhave led the researchers to suggest that control policies must be revised worldwide\nand that the assumption that \u201ca glass a day can be healthy\u201d must be discarded. <\/p> The conclusion on alcohol <\/strong><\/p> The conclusion of the study sums in up nicely\nsaying, <\/p> \u201cThe widely held view of the health benefits of alcohol needs revising, particularly as improved methods and analyses continue to show how much alcohol use contributes to global death and disability. Our results show that the safest level of drinking is none. This level is in conflict with most health guidelines, which espouse health benefits associated with consuming up to two drinks per day. <\/em><\/p> Alcohol use contributes to health loss from many causes and exacts its toll across the lifespan, particularly among men. Policies that focus on reducing population-level consumption will be most effective in reducing the health loss from alcohol use.\u201d2 <\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote> Avoiding alcohol is one of the clearest ways to prevent unfortunate and unwanted tragedy and disease. Abstaining from alcohol is not only a wise 1. https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/alcohol\/fact-sheets\/alcohol-use.htm<\/a><\/p>