a recommendation that no one knows
Several people are toasting on the terrace. Archive image. Miguel Villar
Spain sets guidelines similar to those of other European Union territories, although there is no general framework.
October 23, 2024 . Updated at 11:07 am.
The debate over whether a glass of wine a day can help your health has been settled on a medical level. The answer is no. Various experts consulted by La Voz de la Salud have repeated over and over again that the safe amount of alcohol is zero. Whether it’s in a sip, a glass or a binge, the poison is the same: “Alcohol is toxic to the body, and we’ve known this for decades. Its purported benefits are not supported by scientific evidence. “You can’t compare the antioxidants in a glass of wine to the antioxidants in, say, an apple, which has hundreds of them and is recommended,” the doctor concluded in this interview. Jose ValenciaMember of the Working Group on Alcohol of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology and Professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Seville.
Traditionally the opposite was believed. Some studies have shown that moderate drinkers have a longer life expectancy and a lower risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases compared to abstainers. However, his approach was wrong. Groups of moderate drinkers were compared with groups of abstainers and occasional drinkers. However, this latter group included older people who had consumed alcohol in the past (and alcohol is known to have long-term effects) and, in short, people who had reduced their alcohol consumption due to a number of health problems or illnesses. So it’s not surprising that a moderate drinker may appear healthier.
Moderate drinking of alcohol – or anything for that matter – is a term that is always controversial. It is difficult to find an accurate description issued by a health organization – it was more common to talk about safe consumption rather than “moderate” consumption. However, the Nutrimedia project from the University of Pompeu Fabra remembers that consumption is considered moderate if it does not exceed five grams of pure alcohol per day, or in other words half a pint of beer or half a glass of wine. Reality, however, confirms that few people leave the glass halfway.
Although the total amount of alcohol consumed per person in Spain has fallen in recent years, Dr Valencia does not see this as a positive thing: “We must not lose sight of the fact that we continue to be one of the countries in Europe with higher per capita alcohol consumption. and at the same time, Europe is the region of the world in which alcohol consumption is the highest. We are world leaders in consumption, so we have not overcome the problem.
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The expert emphasizes that although alcohol is consumed nationally on fewer days a week than before, it is now consumed more intensively, especially among young people. “We used the typical model of Anglo-Saxon and northern European countries, where a large part of the population consuming alcohol seeks psychoactive effects that require large quantities,” he notes. This pattern is observed not only among teenagers (despite the fact that purchasing alcohol at this age is illegal), but also among people under 30 years of age.
Despite the prominence of moderate consumption, health guides preferred to talk about safe consumption. A term that has recently been replaced by “low-risk consumption”. The Ministry of Health agreed with this change in nuance, since “there is no safe use of alcohol,” the document states. The only safe technique is zero. Moreover, the portfolio reminds that, based on current scientific evidence, “no health care professional or institution should recommend its use to improve health.”
So what does low risk mean? That drinking 20 grams per day in men and ten grams per day in women leads to more mortality and health problems compared to not drinking alcohol or drinking at a lower level. “We are saying that after two drinks of beer in men and one in women, the risk increases. “We’re really promoting the idea that there is no harmless use,” the researcher recalls. Luis SordoProfessor of Public Health at the Complutense University of Madrid and member of the Alcoholism Group of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE), in this report. Of course, the larger the quantity, the worse.
It is estimated that around 15,000 people die each year as a result of its consumption in Spain. Studying Mortality from alcohol consumption in Spain indicates that both due to its direct consequences in the short term (road traffic accidents) and in the medium and long term (its association with cirrhosis of the liver or various types of cancer), alcohol consumption increases the overall mortality rate of Spaniards by 4%. . The action of this toxin occurs at all levels: neurological, cardiovascular, digestive, metabolic, cancer, infectious, endocrine and perinatal.
In 2019, the World Health Organization noted that from 2010 to 2019, the number of consumption-related deaths per 100,000 people worldwide decreased by 20.2%. In addition, he highlights that there has been a steady increase in the number of countries developing national drinks policies: “Almost all countries impose excise taxes on alcohol. However, countries note continued interference by the alcohol industry in policy formulation,” the organization said.
Dr. Valencia also offered his own take on the issue: “What’s happening is that alcoholic beverages have been integrated into our culture for thousands of years. They involve interaction with other people, making alcohol inseparable from a sporting event or patron saint’s day. In addition, it generates very important economic activity,” he replied. For example, Spain is the second largest beer producer in the European Union, the third largest exporter of wine and the fourth largest exporter of spirits. In addition, the restaurant sector accounts for 3. 9% of the gross value added (GVA) of the entire Spanish economy, and it is considered a key industry since it represents 7% of the business structure. According to the epidemiologist expert, all these data prove that the country is not yet at the stage “where we can implement. many of the plans to eliminate alcohol consumption that were on the table.”
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Low-risk consumption in Spain is not the same as in Denmark.
Although the idea that drinking alcohol is harmful has spread to the vast majority of countries, there is still disagreement between territories regarding what some consider low-risk consumption, how much they accept as the benchmark for establishing it, and what recommendations they make . .
In Spain, for example, one standard unit of drink is equal to ten grams of pure ethanol. This measurement is a practical way to know the amount of toxic substance consumed. Thus, a standard drink unit is equivalent to a small beer of 250 milliliters, half a glass of wine, that is, approximately 125 milliliters; or half a mixed drink. For men, low-risk intake is limited to 20 grams per day; and for women – ten. Greece is cutting the standard amount of booze to eight grams and says men can drink up to two glasses of wine a day; and women, alone. Italy raises its recommendation to 12 grams of pure ethanol per day, although in practice the recommendations are similar: up to two units per day for men; and one for women. In Belgium they talk about a weekly limit: in the male population, up to 21 drinks per week is considered low risk; in women it decreases to 14.
Other territories such as Germany are gaining attention, where in addition to recommendations to limit consumption to two servings per day for men and one for women; He also recommends going alcohol-free for two days a week. The Czech Republic does the same, although its daily limit considered low-risk intake is higher: up to 24 grams per day for men and 16 grams per day for women. Denmark gives the same weekly recommendations for men and women: a maximum of ten drinks per week and no more than four per day. Looking at neighboring countries, France states that you should drink no more than ten standard drinks per week (ten grams each), no more than two per day, and go at least one day without alcohol. Portugal is more lenient in its recommendations: up to 24 grams of alcohol per day for men and 16 for women.