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Our health is under more pressure from everyday habits than most of us realise.
Some popular foods and drinks are proving far more harmful than their widespread consumption might suggest, with certain items now being classed as worse than tobacco in terms of their toxic effects on the body.
We've already covered research linking a common drink to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, but a medical professional has now delivered an even broader warning about what regular drinking could be doing to the body.
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Alcohol is pretty woven into every day life - However, even moderate amounts of alcohol can be hazardous to our health, according to Doctor Sermed Mezher.
In his TikTok and Instagram Reel, Doctor Mezher said: "Let's look at the facts. The consumption of alcoholic drinks is intertwined with human history, stemming back likely thousands of years across multiple cultures from the far east to the west.
"But our modern-day lens shows us that not all traditions are good for us. In fact, with alcohol, it is quite the opposite."
He referenced a 2023 study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which showed there is 'no safe level of alcohol consumption.'
In order for the WHO to classify alcohol as 'safe,' they would need to prove that 'regular drinking that does not have negative health consequences,' which they cannot, Doctor Mezher noted.
"What it does support is that alcohol is a group one carcinogen," he stated. "It is linked to at least seven cancers. And around half of the cancers caused by alcohol consumption are done by light to moderate drinking."
The health expert also took aim at the belief that red wine offers health benefits thanks to the compound resveratrol.
He argued that the studies underpinning this belief were 'flawed' because many of the people classified as non-drinkers in those studies were in fact former drinkers rather than lifelong abstainers.
"And there's a big difference between somebody that is and someone who's only not been drinking for a week, but had a pint a day before that," he added.
Given how embedded alcohol is in social and cultural life, Dr Mezher recognised that the NHS's 14-unit weekly guideline is a 'realistic target for many people.'
But he drew a clear line between what is achievable for most people and what is optimal for health.
"If you're really wanting to maximise your health, then we cannot recommend a safe drinking level at all," he concluded.
