Alcohol is not healthy, even in moderation

2024-08-17 19:05:00, Sociale CNA

A beer or a glass of wine does no harm: this belief has taken root in the minds of many people.

But now the experts have changed their recommendation. Even small amounts of alcohol are harmful.

Alcohol is not healthy, even in moderation.

This is the conclusion reached by the German Nutrition Association DGE in the study "Alcohol is a psychoactive drug". The recommendation of the professional society is clear: avoiding the consumption of alcohol is the only safe motto.

Not only the risk of addiction

According to the DGE, the new recommendation replaces the previously published reference value for alcohol consumption. There is no "risk-free amount for safe consumption". Even small amounts can increase the risk of illness, accidents and injuries. Experts identify more than 200 negative health consequences.

In the long run, alcohol not only carries a risk of addiction. According to experts, alcohol also contributes to the occurrence of diseases: cancer (especially breast and colon), cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes mellitus, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

These amounts are considered dangerous

Anyone who continues to drink alcohol should avoid large amounts and so-called "binge drinking". This is especially true for young people. "Children, teenagers, pregnant women and nursing mothers should generally avoid alcohol." For its new assessment, DGE analyzed several studies on the topic.

From there, DGE experts also derive risk estimates for certain amounts of alcohol: one to two glasses of wine or one to two bottles of beer per week are considered low risk, while up to five glasses of wine or two liters of beer are considered high. moderate. Anything above these numbers, society considers alcohol consumption dangerous. According to the study, if you want to live a risk-free life, you should give up alcohol completely.

Germany – country with high alcohol consumption

The document also makes clear why these recommendations are particularly important for Germany: Germany is considered a "high consumption country" of alcohol. "The average amount of alcohol consumed in Germany is more than double the average amount consumed worldwide," the document states. Therefore, more efforts are needed to improve social awareness./DW