For years we were told that moderate wine drinking was good for our health, particularly our hearts. However, in January of 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an alert that no alcohol or wine consumption is safe. What is a wine lover to think? We break it down.
We read a number of articles on this topic. The WHO’s concern is that alcohol consumption is highly related to the development of cancers and it classifies alcohol in the same cancer causing category as tobacco and asbestos. MD Anderson Cancer Centers also notes “Alcohol can worsen the side effects of chemotherapy and drugs used during cancer treatment. These side effects include nausea, dehydration and mouth sores. And, drinking alcohol increases the risk of additional cancer diagnoses”.
According to Meningers International, the WHO appears to be on a mission to make alcohol use a taboo, along the lines of tobacco, recommending restrictions on advertising and where alcohol can be purchased. The wine industry maintains that wine is important culturally and has been shown to have no negative health impacts when consumed in moderation. And wine is a major economic contributor world-wide.
