5 Drinks A Week Could Shorten Your Life

We’ve often reported back on the dangers of binge drinking or consuming massive amounts of alcohol in one sitting. But what about those who take in smaller quantities on a much more regular basis? Well the truth is, that type of lifestyle can be just as bad. In fact, new research from CNBC is showing that as little as five beers a week could shorten your life.

The research comes from a worldwide study, which analyzed more than 600,000 people across 19 countries. What it found was that 100 grams of alcohol per week (equal to five glasses of wine or six pints of beer) greatly increases the risk of mortality.

Specifically, the data showed that this type of consistent behavior increased the chances of a stroke, heart failure and fatal aneurysms. And for those who consume between 200 grams and 350 grams of alcohol a week (10 glasses, roughly), a life expectancy can shorten by as much as two years.

The purpose of the research was to shine a light on some of the current guidelines when it comes to alcohol consumption. The researchers had hoped that their findings would lead to a re-evaluation of the limits that are put upon booze and bar sales.

“Our study shows that among current drinkers, the threshold for lowest risk of all-cause mortality was about 100 grams per week,” contributor Thomas Bolton wrote in his report. “These data points support the adoption of lower limits of alcohol consumption than are recommended in most current guidelines.”

And to that point, some countries have taken notice. The United Kingdom, for example, recently introduced new guidelines that recommend no more than six glasses of wine (or pints of beer) each week.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (aka The CDC) also issued a recommendation based on the findings. Per the CNBC article, they now advise women to drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day (at the most). Men they were a little more lenient towards, allowing for two beverages.

It is still certainly food for thought and opens up many more discussion points when it comes to alcoholism. If you can imagine the damage five drinks a week can do, think about what happens when you multiply that number by 10. Consuming booze at that rate (following the math) could literally wipe away an entire decade out of your life.

You can see more details on the report via CNBC’s video below…