Dr. Kenneth Mukamal

Well, it's a tough question to answer in a short time, but to kind of condense it down, we're looking at a whole bunch of different kinds of effects, right? Because alcohol can affect your heart, it can affect your liver, it can affect your brain. So there's all different kinds of effects. And one of the problems we're seeing where you get these sorts of messages is people

Well, it's a tough question to answer in a short time, but to kind of condense it down, we're looking at a whole bunch of different kinds of effects, right? Because alcohol can affect your heart, it can affect your liver, it can affect your brain. So there's all different kinds of effects. And one of the problems we're seeing where you get these sorts of messages is people

Well, it's a tough question to answer in a short time, but to kind of condense it down, we're looking at a whole bunch of different kinds of effects, right? Because alcohol can affect your heart, it can affect your liver, it can affect your brain. So there's all different kinds of effects. And one of the problems we're seeing where you get these sorts of messages is people

it's easy to dial down on one of these. And I'll give you an example. So we've known since the 1980s that even small amounts of alcohol probably increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer, but by a small amount, by about a 10% increase over her otherwise medium risk.

it's easy to dial down on one of these. And I'll give you an example. So we've known since the 1980s that even small amounts of alcohol probably increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer, but by a small amount, by about a 10% increase over her otherwise medium risk.

it's easy to dial down on one of these. And I'll give you an example. So we've known since the 1980s that even small amounts of alcohol probably increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer, but by a small amount, by about a 10% increase over her otherwise medium risk.

Now, that sounds bad, but what they don't tell you is that there's other kinds of cancer that alcohol seems to reduce the risk of.

Now, that sounds bad, but what they don't tell you is that there's other kinds of cancer that alcohol seems to reduce the risk of.

Now, that sounds bad, but what they don't tell you is that there's other kinds of cancer that alcohol seems to reduce the risk of.

So if all we're doing is picking and choosing specific endpoints, specific diseases, then it's easy to come up with dictates like that. When we look at this across the board, trying to integrate everything together, it more or less looks like limited alcohol consumption, right? So within the currently recommended limits, does not seem to have huge risks to health.

So if all we're doing is picking and choosing specific endpoints, specific diseases, then it's easy to come up with dictates like that. When we look at this across the board, trying to integrate everything together, it more or less looks like limited alcohol consumption, right? So within the currently recommended limits, does not seem to have huge risks to health.

So if all we're doing is picking and choosing specific endpoints, specific diseases, then it's easy to come up with dictates like that. When we look at this across the board, trying to integrate everything together, it more or less looks like limited alcohol consumption, right? So within the currently recommended limits, does not seem to have huge risks to health.

Whether it has benefits or not, I think is somewhat of a harder call. But it's interesting that the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine just came out in January with a very detailed report. And it showed that compared with not drinking, limited drinking, light drinking, was associated with lower risk of dying. So that goes exactly opposite.

Whether it has benefits or not, I think is somewhat of a harder call. But it's interesting that the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine just came out in January with a very detailed report. And it showed that compared with not drinking, limited drinking, light drinking, was associated with lower risk of dying. So that goes exactly opposite.

Whether it has benefits or not, I think is somewhat of a harder call. But it's interesting that the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine just came out in January with a very detailed report. And it showed that compared with not drinking, limited drinking, light drinking, was associated with lower risk of dying. So that goes exactly opposite.

I can't speak to the whole vaccine question. That's not something I studied. But I can certainly say that in this case, the data actually hasn't changed very much. That's why this panel could come out and show that, in fact, using the most up-to-date data, the risk of dying overall seems to be a little bit lower if you drink a small amount of alcohol relative to none.

I can't speak to the whole vaccine question. That's not something I studied. But I can certainly say that in this case, the data actually hasn't changed very much. That's why this panel could come out and show that, in fact, using the most up-to-date data, the risk of dying overall seems to be a little bit lower if you drink a small amount of alcohol relative to none.

I can't speak to the whole vaccine question. That's not something I studied. But I can certainly say that in this case, the data actually hasn't changed very much. That's why this panel could come out and show that, in fact, using the most up-to-date data, the risk of dying overall seems to be a little bit lower if you drink a small amount of alcohol relative to none.

But, you know, if you're eager to try to show that alcohol is entirely bad for you, there's ways to do that because you can cherry pick again. And that, I think, has sort of been where they've been so successful, that by choosing things like, say, breast cancer, it's easy to say, look, there's a risk from light drinking. That's true.

But, you know, if you're eager to try to show that alcohol is entirely bad for you, there's ways to do that because you can cherry pick again. And that, I think, has sort of been where they've been so successful, that by choosing things like, say, breast cancer, it's easy to say, look, there's a risk from light drinking. That's true.