High alcohol intake is linked to worse health outcomes regardless of the type of drink, but new research indicates that the effects of low to moderate consumption may depend on what people drink.
Spirits, beer and cider were linked to higher mortality risk, while wine was associated with lower risk.
Moderate wine drinkers, for example, had a 21 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death, while even low intake of other alcohol types was tied to a 9 percent higher risk.
"These results come from the general population, and in certain high-risk groups, such as people with chronic diseases or cardiovascular conditions, the risks could be even higher," said Zhangling Chen, the study’s senior author.
How was the study carried out
The findings, which are going to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, are based on data from more than 340,000 UK adults in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2022.
Participants were grouped according to their intake, measured in grams of pure alcohol per day and per week, and followed for more than 13 years on average.
Compared with never or occasional drinkers, heavy drinkers were 24 percent more likely to die from any cause, 36 percent more likely to die from cancer and 14 percent more likely to die from heart disease.
At lower levels of consumption, however, differences emerged depending on the type of alcohol. Drinking spirits, beer or cider was associated with a higher risk of death, while the same level of wine consumption was linked to a lower risk.
"These results come from the general population, and in certain high-risk groups, such as people with chronic diseases or cardiovascular conditions, the risks could be even higher," said Chen.
She added: "Our findings help clarify previously mixed evidence on low to moderate alcohol consumption. These findings can help refine guidance, emphasising that the health risks of alcohol depend not only on the amount of alcohol consumed, but also on the type of beverage."
Researchers said the differences may be explained by compounds found in wine, such as polyphenols and antioxidants, as well as broader lifestyle factors.
Wine is typically often consumed with meals and by people with healthier diets, while beer, cider and spirits, are more commonly linked to poorer diet quality and other risk factors.
“Taken together, these factors suggest that the type of alcohol, how it is consumed and the associated lifestyle behaviours all contribute to the observed differences in mortality risk,” Chen said.
But, the study does have its limitations. It's observational, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect, and alcohol intake was self-reported at the start of the study, without accounting for changes over time.
Participants in the UK Biobank also tend to be healthier and wealthier than the general population, which may limit how widely the findings apply. Thus researchers say that randomised trials would be needed to better understand the true effects of different types of alcohol.
Growing evidence of alcohol risk
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests even moderate drinking carries risks.
Last year, research published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine highlighted the potential impact of alcohol on brain health. That study, involving around 560,000 people in the UK and US, found that greater alcohol consumption was linked to higher dementia risk.
“For anyone who chooses to drink, our study suggests that greater alcohol consumption leads to higher risk of dementia,” Stephen Burgess, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement.
Another previous study using brain scans found that drinking one or two units of alcohol per day was associated with reductions in brain volume and changes to its structure, which may be linked to memory loss and dementia.
