By Brian Morris, MD

You may have read or heard that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol each day, especially red wine, is a healthy practice. Unfortunately, there are numerous reasons why consuming alcohol does not promote wellness. In fact, it’s the opposite. The truth is there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.

In September of 2015, a study about the health effects of alcohol was published in the highly respected medical journal The Lancet. This study involved 115,000 patients in 12 different countries and found that heavy alcohol use was associated with a 31-54% increased risk of death, mostly due to increased cancer risk. Interestingly, researchers found a direct correlation between the risk of cancer and the amount of alcohol consumption. The greater the alcohol use, the greater the likelihood of cancer. In particular, alcohol was found to increase the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, breast, ovaries, head, and neck.

Alcohol has other negative effects on the body. Alcohol significantly reduces both the quantity and quality of sleep. Anything that detrimentally affects sleep should be minimized or avoided as sufficient sleep is critical to good health. Second, alcohol is a source of empty calories. In a world where two-thirds of people are overweight or obese, keeping a close watch on calorie consumption is extremely important. Reducing calories by 100 calories per day (about the amount in one small glass of wine or one light beer) will result, on average, in about ten pounds of weight loss over the course of a year. Finally, in addition to increasing the risk of many cancers, alcohol also increases the risk of other health problems including acid reflux, ulcers, liver disease, and high blood pressure.

Because of all these reasons, I recommend avoiding excessive alcohol. When my patients reduce their consumption of alcohol, they often note how much better they sleep and how much more energetic they feel. They also find it’s easier to reach and maintain their ideal weight. Take an honest look at the role that alcohol plays in your life and decide whether this is a habit that you want to address.