Wine glasses and their reflections against a white backgroundShare on Pinterest
Research has found that what you drink may matter as much as how much you drink. Image Credit: Viktor Solomin/Stocksy
  • Recent research suggests that both the type and amount of alcohol a person drinks can affect their health.
  • The study found that moderate to low wine consumption may be associated with a lower risk than other types of alcohol.
  • Experts still advise people to limit or avoid consuming alcohol to reduce health risks.

Consuming alcohol is associated with various negative impacts on health, no matter what type you drink. However, a recent study has found that the potential effects of low to moderate consumption may vary by beverage type.

This is according to a study that was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

The study adds to previous research showing that lower alcohol consumption is better for overall health. It also provides new insights into the effects of drinking at low and moderate rates.

“The findings from this ACC study align with a belief I’ve held for many years, which is that the type of alcohol a person drinks can meaningfully influence health outcomes,” said Matt Glowiak, PhD, chief addiction specialist with Recovered.

Glowiak was not involved in the study.

“Heavy drinking is harmful across the board, yet the difference that emerges at low to moderate levels is striking,” he told Healthline.

This study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The study analyzed data from 340,924 individuals in the UK Biobank. The researchers examined the association between total specific alcohol consumption and mortality rates.

The researchers compared consumption of the following alcohol types:

  • wine
  • beer and cider
  • spirits

Each participant completed a dietary questionnaire at enrollment. They were then grouped into four categories based on their alcohol intake that was measured in terms of grams of pure alcohol per day and week.

The categories were as follows:

  • Never or occasional drinkers: less than 20g per week
  • Low alcohol consumption: men who drink 20g per week to 20g per day, women who drink 20g per week to 10g per day
  • Moderate alcohol consumption: men who drink 20g to 40g per day, women who drink 10g to 20g per day
  • High alcohol consumption: men who drink more than 40g per day, women who drink more than 20g per day

Standard drink amounts

A 12oz can of beer, a 5oz glass of wine, and 1.5oz shot of spirits each contain 14g of pure alcohol.

Participants’ health outcomes were tracked for an average of 13 years.

When compared with never or occasional drinkers, those with high alcohol consumption showed the following outcomes:

  • 24% more likely to die from any cause
  • 36% more likely to die from cancer
  • 14% more likely to die from heart disease

The differences in risk by alcohol type began to emerge at low to moderate levels of consumption. Drinking spirits, beer, or cider was associated with a significantly higher risk of death.

The same level of wine consumption, however, was associated with a significantly lower risk of death when compared to the other types.

When the researchers looked specifically at deaths from cardiovascular disease, they found that when compared to never or occasional drinkers, moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

In contrast, even low intakes of beer, cider, or spirits showed a 9% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to never or occasional drinkers.

“Regardless of beverage type, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that heavier consumption — defined as 4 or more drinks daily or binge drinking—consistently harms cardiovascular health across all metrics,” said Robert Glatter, MD, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell. Glatter was not involved in the study.

“The American Heart Association (AHA)’s 2025 scientific statement emphasizes that heavy alcohol consumption increases risks for hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy, stroke, and heart failure,” he added.

The researchers noted that the research had limitations as an observational study and suggested that high quality randomized trials may help to better understand the effects of alcohol consumption.

Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, agreed with these limitations. Chen was not involved in the study.

“This research is somewhat contrary to the majority of studies, which found that any degree of alcohol consumption, no matter the type, was harmful to our health. This is likely due to confounding factors that inherently limit observational studies,” he told Healthline.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that consuming alcohol can have both short-term and long-term effects on your body.

Short-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption include:

Long-term effects include:

“When counseling patients about alcohol, the message should be clear and evidence-based: if you don’t drink, don’t start for health reasons,” noted Glatter.

“I tell my patients to drink as little alcohol as possible, preferably none at all,” said Chen.