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A large new analysis suggests the type of alcohol you choose may matter for your heart. Researchers found that moderate wine drinkers had different long-term risks than people who favored beer, cider or spirits.
How the study was set up: large UK data, long follow-up
Scientists analyzed health and drinking data for 340,924 adults from the UK Biobank. Participants enrolled between 2006 and 2010 and were tracked through 2022.
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Each person completed a dietary questionnaire at baseline, reporting usual alcohol intake. The team then grouped participants by averaged consumption.
Defining a “drink” and intake categories
For reference, a standard drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol. The research used these intake categories:
- Never or occasional: under 20 grams per week (about 1.5 drinks).
- Low: above occasional levels but within modest daily limits.
- Moderate: men roughly 20–40 grams per day; women roughly 10–20 grams per day.
- High: men above 40 grams per day; women above 20 grams per day.
Mortality outcomes tied to heavy drinking
Over about 13 years of follow-up, heavier alcohol use carried clear penalties. Compared with never/occasional drinkers, heavy drinkers showed:
- 24% higher risk of death from any cause.
- 36% higher risk of death from cancer.
- 14% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Not all drinks behaved the same
The team separated results by beverage type and saw divergent patterns. Low-to-moderate wine intake was linked to lower or neutral mortality in some comparisons. By contrast, even light-to-moderate use of beer, cider or spirits was associated with increased risk.
Specifically, moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of dying from heart disease than people who rarely or never drank. Light consumption of beer, cider or spirits correlated with a roughly 9% higher cardiovascular mortality risk.
Why wine might show different effects
Researchers offer several explanations for the disparity between beverage types:
- Certain compounds in red wine, like polyphenols including resveratrol, may protect blood vessels.
- Wine is more often consumed with meals, which can alter alcohol’s metabolic effects.
- People who prefer wine sometimes follow healthier diets and other beneficial lifestyle habits.
- Beer, cider and spirits are more often linked to drinking outside meals and to lower-quality diets.
What the authors warned about interpretation
Study lead author Dr. Zhangling Chen noted that the risks depend on both intake amount and beverage type. She cautioned that the findings apply to the general population and may be different in people with chronic disease.
Important study limitations include:
- Alcohol intake was self-reported at the start and not updated over time.
- The UK Biobank cohort is generally healthier than the average population.
- Residual lifestyle or dietary confounding could influence results.
Context: Americans are drinking less
The research arrives amid falling alcohol use in the U.S. A 2025 Gallup poll found only 54% of adults reported any drinking in the prior year—the lowest rate Gallup has recorded since 1939.
Among drinkers, average consumption also declined to about 2.8 drinks per week in 2025, the lowest level in nearly 30 years of Gallup tracking.
