A recent study examines the health impact of consuming alcohol at different ages. The authors conclude that, for people over the age of 50, the health risks may be less severe.
If alcohol does have protective effects, they are not distributed evenly across all ages.
Heavy drinking is linked to a range of serious health consequences.
These include certain cancers, liver and heart disease, and damage to the nervous system, including the brain.
However, as has been exhaustively covered in the popular press, drinking in moderation might have certain health benefits.
A number of studies have concluded that drinking alcohol at a low level could have a protective effect.
One study, for instance, found that light and moderate drinking protected against all-cause mortality, as well as mortality related to cardiovascular disease.
It is no surprise that these stories have been well-received and widely read, but not all researchersTrusted Source agree, and the debate is ongoing.
A recent study led by Dr. Timothy Naimi, of the Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts, adds further fuel to an already rampant blaze.
The authors take aim at the methodology used in earlier studies, and they published their findings in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs earlier this week.