A group of experts from Harvard University and Stanford University discussed the health impacts of alcohol and sugary drinks in a recent conversation at the Harvard Chan School. The panel, which included Timothy Rebbeck, Eric Rimm, Walter Willett, and Anna Grummon (joining remotely from Stanford), focused on how common beverages affect long-term health.
Timothy Rebbeck, Professor of Cancer Prevention at the Chan School, noted that beverages play a significant role in daily life but their health effects can be confusing. “From our first cup of coffee in the morning, to a glass of wine at night, to an energy drink, these beverages are woven into our lifestyles, our celebrations, and our cultures,” Rebbeck said. “Yet the health impacts of the beverages, especially when it comes to cancer and the long-term effects on chronic disease and health, have been confusing and sometimes controversial.”
Eric Rimm outlined research suggesting moderate alcohol consumption may reduce heart attack risk and lower overall mortality for people who consume about half a drink to one drink per day. However, he also pointed out that alcohol increases risks for certain cancers. “What we know is that people that drink about a half a drink to a drink a day live the longest, so they die less of heart attacks,” Rimm said. “They may have a bit more cancer, but the absolute risk of heart attacks is much greater than the absolute risk of breast cancer or colon cancer.”
Walter Willett emphasized that while increased cancer risk from moderate drinking is small compared with smoking-related hazards, on a population level it is large enough to offset some benefits gained by screening programs. He advised individuals to consider their own circumstances when weighing risks: for example, young women with healthy hearts might focus more on alcohol’s link to breast cancer.
Anna Grummon addressed societal issues linked with heavy drinking rather than moderate use. She highlighted addiction and accidents as major contributors to alcohol-related deaths in the U.S., saying: “What we see in the data is that many of the harms that we worry about with alcohol consumption, a lot of those are not necessarily around heart disease or cancer but around addiction and motor vehicle crashes.” She suggested policymakers could aim for lower average consumption rather than total abstinence: “I don’t think any policymaker is interested in getting to zero consumption…but I think there’s interest in moving the curve a little bit to the left towards lower consumption and more people meeting the guidelines that Eric mentioned.”
The experts agreed sugary drinks such as soda pose clearer dangers than moderate alcohol use. A single 12-ounce soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar—a quantity few would add voluntarily to other drinks—according to Rimm. Consumption has been tied directly to rising obesity rates (which increase cancer risk) as well as diabetes (raising chances for heart attack or stroke). “When you compare a soda to water, or soda to coffee, or soda to tea,” Rimm said,“whatever you’re comparing it [soda]to always wins.”
Willett added artificial sweeteners like aspartame appear safe based on current evidence and offer improved health profiles over sugar-sweetened options; however he recommended water as best choice since most city tap water supplies are safe.
He also remarked on government response: efforts against unhealthy products like tobacco or trans fats began locally before national policies followed suit.“That’s where the action is,” Willett said.“It’s state and local,even sublocal —institutional —and people can make a difference there.”
