Less is more with alcohol

Chrissy Teigen took to social media in July 2022 to reveal she’d marked one year of sobriety. Her choice turns out to be one we all might consider, according to new alcohol guidelines issued by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. They state that no amount is healthy — based on recent research.

A study published in JAMA last year showed that in the U.S. between 2015 and 2019, excessive alcohol use resulted in around 140,000 deaths annually. Forty percent were from acute causes like car crashes, but the majority were from chronic conditions caused by alcohol, such as liver disease, cancer and heart disease. Other studies show alcohol damages cells lining your blood vessels and allows other cells to become cancerous. It also damages DNA’s telomeres, accelerating aging.

The Canadian report says “low” risk comes with two or fewer standard drinks weekly; “moderate” risk is from three to six; and the risk becomes “increasingly high” with seven or more per week. Current U.S. guidelines are one drink a day for women and two for men.

My take: You derive great benefit from the socialization that comes with sharing a drink (you may choose to make it a mocktail) and food with your posse. But if you’re consuming three or more alcoholic drinks a day or have a family or personal history of alcohol or drug abuse, I strongly agree that no alcohol is your best choice. If you need help, contact the government’s 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information helpline at 800-662-4357.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow.” Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@ GreatAgeReboot.com.