Drink less alcohol, or none
Beyond 100 g of pure alcohol weekly—roughly 2.5 L of beer—higher intake was associated with shorter life. At age 40, weekly intake of 100–200 g corresponded to about six months less life, 200–350 g to one or two years less, and over 350 g to four or five years less. Across overall health outcomes, the lowest-risk amount was zero.
What it takes
Saves money and takes no time. Declining drinks socially can feel awkward.
What you may gain
A pooled analysis of 83 prospective observational studies included 599,912 current drinkers. Lowest mortality was at no more than 100 g/week, approximately 2.5 L of 5% beer or 300 mL of 40% spirits. At age 40, 100–200 g/week was associated with around 6 months less life expectancy, 200–350 g with 1–2 years less, and over 350 g with 4–5 years less; these were reported as years of life in the original. GBD 2016, combining different health losses, found minimum risk at 0 drinks/week. A separate bias-adjusted meta-analysis found RR 0.93 for 1.3–24 g/day versus lifelong abstention, about 7% lower but not statistically significant; at 45–64 g/day RR was 1.19, about 19% higher, and at 65 g/day or more 1.35, about 35% higher.
Context & considerations
A meta-analysis of 34 cohorts supporting modest drinking reported up to 17%–18% lower mortality, within up to 4 drinks/day for men and 2 for women. Critics note that abstainer groups can contain people who quit because of illness or were already unhealthy. A meta-analysis designed to remove these biases found the protective effect disappeared, and GBD identified zero as safest. The source's cautious reading is that small amounts may have little detectable effect on lifespan, while heavy drinking clearly harms it; there is no basis for starting to drink for health. See counting drinks and seeking brief advice. Daily drinkers with dependence should not stop abruptly without medical help.
Research & references
Wood AM et al. (2018). Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies. Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30134-X ; GBD 2016 Alcohol Collaborators (2018). Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31310-2 ; Zhao J et al. (2023). Association Between Daily Alcohol Intake and Risk of All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6185 ; Di Castelnuovo A et al. (2006). Alcohol dosing and total mortality in men and women: an updated meta-analysis of 34 prospective studies. Archives of Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.22.2437 (the opposing interpretation).