‘Safe’ alcohol limit for people under 40? ‘2 tablespoons:’ study

Just 2 spoonfuls of alcohol is the “safe” amount for those under 40, according to a newly released study.

The University of Washington’s School of Medicine analyzed the risk of alcohol consumption based on 22 health outcomes, including injuries, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and found that younger individuals face higher health risks from alcohol than their older counterparts — recommending just 2 tablespoons of wine per day.

Using data from the Lancet’s 2020 Global Burden of Disease, the study found small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes in people but increase the risk for others. The overall risks depend on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex and year.

Researchers said young people face higher health risks from alcohol consumption than older adults. However, adults age 40 and older without underlying health conditions may benefit from limited alcohol consumption — such as a small glass of red wine a day — as it could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.

The study indicated younger people were more at risk of consuming harmful amounts of alcohol, with 59% of excessive drinkers between age 15 and 39, and three-quarters of them men.

However, their findings could not establish any health benefits of drinking alcohol for people age 39 or younger.

Using estimates of alcohol use in 204 countries, researchers calculated that 1.34 billion people consumed harmful amounts in 2020.

Senior author Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in the United States, said: “Our message is simple: Young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from drinking small amounts.

“While it may not be realistic to think young adults will abstain from drinking, we do think it’s important to communicate the latest evidence so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health,” she said.

For young men, the recommended daily amount of alcohol that’s “safe” before “risking health loss” was about 2.6 tablespoons of beer or 2 teaspoons of wine.

In young women, this was around 3.3 ounces of beer or a little over a quarter of a standard drink, defined as a 100ml glass of wine, which is just about 2 tablespoons, the Guardian reported.

In those between age 40 and 64, safe alcohol consumption levels ranged from just under 2 ounces to 6.7 ounces of wine, or 6 ounces to 25 ounces of beer.