Younger men should drink one third of women’s recommended alcohol intake, warns study
24 Jul 2022
New advice on the health dangers of alcohol challenges popular assumptions as to which groups are under the greatest threat from the effects of drinking.
A study by the University of Washington in Seattle School of Medicine suggests that younger men aged under 40 need to consume the smallest amounts.
The research concludes that this cohort should drink no more than the equivalent of a shot glass (38 ml) of beer daily. For women in the same age group, the limit is a much more generous but still limited 100 ml.
By contrast, older people over 40 are not only less at risk, says the report but may actually benefit from a couple of drinks. And in the case of those over 65, the amount is slightly higher.
“Young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking small amounts,” said report lead author Dr Emmanuela Gakidou.
Employing data from the 2020 Global Burden of Disease, the researchers examined a variety of health outcomes and estimated the risk for consumers.
Almost 60% of individuals drinking levels of alcohol considered harmful fell in the 15 to 39 age bracket and of those, three quarters were male, they said. Heavy consumption markedly increased the risk of injury, road accidents and violent death.
The report noted that small amounts of drinking among older groups could help decrease the risk of some heart and diabetes-related conditions.
Pic: Ketut Subiyanto
