The end of wine enjoyment? Will it be gloomy now?

Dry January is currently in full swing. More and more people are joining in and not drinking alcohol in the first month of the year. Especially after days or weeks of pre-Christmas and Christmas feasting and drinking, this makes perfect sense for our health. A final rebellion on New Year's Eve is followed by asceticism - and that's a good thing. For the past two years, however, more and more lobbies have been advocating a life without alcohol altogether, as even moderate consumption is harmful. Is the fun and frolic now over?

Exactly two years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) caused a stir when it declared that there was no 'safe level' for alcohol consumption. It referred to scientific findings from a meta-study comprising 107 cohort studies* with a total of over 4.8 million participants. Until then, the global consensus was that the daily consumption of one glass of wine for women and two glasses for men was harmless to health. The WHO report now states that alcohol is categorised as a Group 1 carcinogen, together with asbestos, radiation and tobacco, and is responsible for at least seven types of cancer. The data indicates that even light to moderate alcohol consumption - less than 1.5 litres of wine or 3.5 litres of beer per week - significantly increases the risk of cancer. Which is not so little ... However, it also states:

"The risks start with the first drop." Among other things, the WHO and a group of strict alcohol opponents in the European Parliament are therefore calling for warning labels on bottles of alcoholic drinks, similar to those on cigarette packets. This group is even in favour of a complete ban on alcohol in the EU, as shown in the ARD three-part series Dirty Little Secrets. Not only that, producers of alcoholic beverages should also be banned from all sports sponsorship and marketing. Draft legislation to this effect only failed to get through due to lobbying by producers, who are also said to have influenced studies. Such as the famous J-curve. This states that the relationship between alcohol consumption and certain health risks such as cardiovascular disease often exhibits a J-shaped curve: the risks first decrease slightly with moderate consumption until they increase sharply with heavier consumption. In other words, moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial to health. This has probably been refuted by now. Or maybe not, because these results are also manipulated? We may never know.

All just fake? More and more voices are questioning the WHO statement and the results of the meta-study on which it is based. An article in WineBusiness Monthly, for example, states that the American anti-alcohol lobby and the Movendi temperance movement exert a strong influence on alcohol policy and may have influenced the study results.

We don't know exactly. But what we do know: Moderate alcohol consumption can be harmful to health. Heavy alcohol consumption is harmful to health. However, the boundaries are blurred and depend heavily on personal lifestyle and predisposition.

So what should you do? Continue to enjoy! It is up to each individual to come to terms with this issue and deal with it responsibly. What is good for me, what is not good for me? How much do I drink? Do I come from a family with a problematic relationship with alcohol and therefore need to be even more careful with it? …

Wine enriches our lives - and enjoying life promotes health and prolongs it. That at least should be proven. Life would be much poorer without the pleasurable moments that a glass of wine provides. Whether enjoyed alone or in the company of friends and family – savoured in moderation or sometimes going over the top, as we do with other pleasures like sugar. And yes, a few alcohol-free days a week, a Dry January or a Sober October do us good. It just shouldn't be dictated to us from the outside.

Here's to a long, healthy life full of enjoyment! 🥂

* Cohort: Group of people who are observed or studied over a certain period of time. As a rule, the members of the cohort share one or more common characteristics, such as age, gender, occupation or health status.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A COHORT STUDY
Common starting point: The members of the cohort are observed from a specific point in time.
Long-term observation: Data on certain characteristics, risk factors or health conditions are collected over years or even decades.
Aim: Cohort studies are used to investigate relationships between certain factors (e.g. lifestyle, environment) and the occurrence of diseases or other events.

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