From Stanford Medicine: For a long time, drinking in moderation was considered socially acceptable, and maybe even healthy.  You supposedly protected your heart with red wine, and even reduced diabetes. But what's the current truth about moderate drinking? The idea that moderate, occasional drinking is good for your health is outdated . Decades ago, large surveys of adults began showing an association between how much alcohol someone drank and their risk of death. People who said they drank heavily had an increased risk, but those who drank nothing at all also had an increased risk compared with those who drank one or two servings of alcohol per day . These findings were well promoted by the alcohol industry. Turns out that even at low levels, alcohol can have significant negative effects on your body. Recent research. A 2025 report from the American Association for Cancer concluded that  more than 5% of all cancers in the U.S. are attributable to alcohol use . A 2025 S...