A new study has challenged the notion that drinking in moderate quantities was better than avoiding alcohol completely. For years, many observational studies have pointed out that moderate drinkers live longer and face fewer health issues than non-drinkers but the new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, dispels all such misconceptions. 

The researchers peered into 107 published studies on people’s drinking habits and how long they had lived. The scientists noted that most of the studies carried biases that affected their results. 

For example, in most cases, the drinkers were compared with people who abstained or consumed very little alcohol without factoring that some had cut down or quit alcohol in the first place due to illness. 

“Studies with lifetime selection biases may create misleading positive health associations. These biases pervade the field of alcohol epidemiology and can confuse communications about health risks,” the new study said. 

The findings suggest that, after adjusting for key study characteristics, the perceived health benefits of light drinking for longevity diminish. 

The research supports a growing movement focused on nonalcoholic lifestyles and highlights the need for stricter standards in studies examining the health effects of alcohol consumption, along with the subsequent public health messaging.