Scientists are genuinely divided on this question.

Not medical advice — just what the research says.

What's still open

What the evidence found 3 findings
Based on 13 sources:
PMC - NIH peer-reviewed View
Stanford News institutional View
PMC Research Article peer-reviewed View
PMC Research Article peer-reviewed View
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research institutional View
ResearchGate publication on cohort study bias peer-reviewed View
IOGT alcohol effects analysis institutional View
Alcohol In Moderation publication institutional View
PubMed peer-reviewed View
Movendi International institutional View
Recovery Research Institute institutional View
PMC - NIH peer-reviewed View
ResearchGate Publication on French Paradox peer-reviewed View
Based on 12 sources:
PMC - NIH peer-reviewed View
PMC - NIH peer-reviewed View
Nature peer-reviewed View
The Lancet peer-reviewed View
ResearchGate peer-reviewed View
UW Medicine institutional View
The Lancet - Global Burden of Disease Study 2018 peer-reviewed
PMC peer-reviewed View
PubMed peer-reviewed View
Stanford News institutional View
PMC peer-reviewed View
American Heart Association Journals peer-reviewed View
Based on 12 sources:
PMC peer-reviewed View
The Drinks Business news View
PMC peer-reviewed View
PMC - NIH peer-reviewed View
Stanford Medicine institutional View
PMC peer-reviewed View
State of Global Air institutional View
PubMed peer-reviewed View
Alcohol Research Forum institutional View
PMC peer-reviewed View
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research peer-reviewed View
PMC peer-reviewed View
What research hasn't answered 3 gaps
PMC - NIH peer-reviewed View
Stanford News institutional View
PMC Research Article peer-reviewed View
PMC Research Article peer-reviewed View
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research institutional View
Sources 20 findings
argumentation Unknown
2018 argumentation Unknown
argumentation Unknown
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
2019 tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
2016 tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
2018 tree-leaf argumentation
tree-leaf argumentation
argumentation Unknown
argumentation Unknown
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Generated by reaso.ai's editorial pipeline: claim restated, scientific consensus classified via 3-run majority vote, 20 findings enriched with attribution and study type, narrative written in neutral voice. No individual researcher has signed off on this specific analysis — see methodology for how the pipeline works. Built with Claude Sonnet by Anthropic. Updated April 16, 2026. How we do this →

Written by AI. Sources are linked for verification.