31–40 of 148 posts
I wonder if these poorly-conducted studies are properly reporting any sources of funding an conflict of interest, as well as how they get past peer-review if they have relatively basic methodological flaws.
They never include the mental benefits of alcohol. A night out drinking with friends or coworkers has mental health benefits that last, sometimes a lifetime.
Here’s one of the fundamental problems with studying human diet and psychology, from the article: > The best way to assess the effects of alcohol would be to randomly assign people to drink it or not in childhood and then monitor their health and drinking over the rest of their lives. Since such studies cannot be done, researchers instead have to ask people about their drinking habits and follow them over much shorte…
Here’s one of the fundamental problems with studying human diet and psychology, from the article: > The best way to assess the effects of alcohol would be to randomly assign people to drink it or not in childhood and then monitor their health and drinking over the rest of their lives. Since such studies cannot be done, researchers instead have to ask people about their drinking habits and follow them over much shorte…
See Nazi twin studies, Japanese Unit 731, and who knows what is going on right now which will take years to be uncovered..
They never include the mental benefits of alcohol. A night out drinking with friends or coworkers has mental health benefits that last, sometimes a lifetime.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are talking about literally the single substance responsible for the most human (mental/physical) health damage out of anything we've managed to come up with so far, and not for a lack of trying. You still have some time to reflect and delete this comment (I think HN gives you about an hour).
It clearly seems beneficial and/or enjoyable for some (not me so much), and tobacco and opiates seem like they do their fair share of damage as well.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/substances-risk-factor-vs...
Here’s one of the fundamental problems with studying human diet and psychology, from the article: > The best way to assess the effects of alcohol would be to randomly assign people to drink it or not in childhood and then monitor their health and drinking over the rest of their lives. Since such studies cannot be done, researchers instead have to ask people about their drinking habits and follow them over much shorte…
Here’s one of the fundamental problems with studying human diet and psychology, from the article: > The best way to assess the effects of alcohol would be to randomly assign people to drink it or not in childhood and then monitor their health and drinking over the rest of their lives. Since such studies cannot be done, researchers instead have to ask people about their drinking habits and follow them over much shorte…
I used to drink alcohol to self-medicate my social anxiety. I realized eventually, however, that, because it also lowered my inhibitions, I would do and say things I wouldn't have were I not inebriated. This is what effectively convinced me to give up the drink, as it were.
But isn't social anxiety a source of many harmful inhibitions? To me moderate lowering of inhibitions is a good thing, and a couple of beers helps with that. But with anything more the bad effects outweigh the good. Still, facing one's fears and going sober to anxiety inducing situations is absolutely much better long-term treatment of social anxiety. That has a lasting effect, alcohol doesn't.
Have there been studies of nominally non-drinking sub-populations, such as Mormons or Muslims, to understand the effects of alcohol?
Yes, but those populations are far from completely dry. They may drink less, but do not represent a scientific control group. If you did find a totally dry community, the other cultural differances may well muddy the results too (diet, relationship to medical care etc).
Hard agree on their being a myriad of confounding factors from genetics over climate and family relationships to diet, though...