Recent studies show that long-term drinkers spend more time on sick leave than moderate drinkers, reports Addiction. However, this does not mean that the results should encourage alcohol consumption.
It is widely known that drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing many different diseases – it promotes the occurrence of cancer, damages internal organs, exacerbates symptoms of depression and sometimes causes failure of the whole organism. Meanwhile, it turns out that avoiding alcoholic beverages altogether can also have a negative impact on your health. People who don’t drink at all are more likely to take days off than their peers who drink a moderate amount of alcohol, according to a recent study.
Adults from Finland, France and Great Britain participated in the study. The reference group consisted of women who drink from 1 to 11 alcohol units per week, and men who drink from 1 to 34 alcohol units per week, according to their own declarations.
A unit of alcohol is 12 grams of pure ethyl alcohol, which is slightly less than in a small bottle of beer or as much as in a glass of wine. 50 ml of vodka is approximately 1,6 units.
Compared to the alcohol group, men and women who did not report any alcohol consumption had a higher risk of sickness absence due to mental disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems.
On the other hand, in the case of women declaring drinking more than 11 units of alcohol per week and men whose weekly consumption exceeded 34 units, the probability of absenteeism due to injury or poisoning increased.
‘Our results show (…) a higher risk of sickness absence for both abstainers and more drinkers,’ said lead author Dr Jenni Ervasti of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Medicine.
– Certain medical conditions or their treatment make it impossible to drink alcohol, which may explain the increased risk of absenteeism among abstainers. In addition, research participants in whom high-risk drinking causes health problems may be driven out of the labor market – early retirement or unemployment. In their case, the negative effects of drinking are not seen in the form of sick leave from work, Dr. Ervasti notes.