Past research suggested drinking alcohol in moderate amounts could be good for the heart.
过去的研究表明，适量饮酒可能对心脏有益。
But a growing number of public health experts now advise people to limit alcohol intake as much as possible to improve health.
但现在越来越多的公共卫生专家建议人们尽可能限制饮酒以改善健康。
One of those experts is Dr. Timothy Naimi.
其中一位专家是蒂莫西·奈米博士。
He is with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.
他在不列颠哥伦比亚省维多利亚大学的加拿大物质使用研究所工作。
Naimi told The Associated Press, "Drinking less is a great way to be healthier."
奈米告诉美联社：“少喝酒是变得更健康的好方法。”
Earlier this month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for changing his agency’s existing health warning on alcoholic drinks to include cancer risks.
本月早些时候，美国卫生局局长维韦克·穆尔蒂博士呼吁修改其机构现有的酒精饮料健康警告，以包括癌症风险。
Such a change would require approval from Congress.
这样的改变需要国会批准。
The Surgeon General’s proposed change is linked to research suggesting that drinking alcohol raises the risk of several types of cancer – including colon, liver, breast, mouth and throat.
卫生局长提出的改变与研究有关，该研究表明饮酒会增加多种癌症的风险，包括结肠癌、肝癌、乳腺癌、口腔癌和喉癌。
Alcohol breaks down in the body into a substance called acetaldehyde.
酒精在体内分解成一种叫做乙醛的物质。
This chemical can damage cells and stop them from repairing themselves.
这种化学物质会损害细胞并阻止它们自我修复。
The process can create conditions for cancer to grow.
这个过程会为癌症的生长创造条件。
Naimi said estimates show thousands of U.S. deaths could be prevented each year if people followed government dietary guidelines on drinking alcohol.
奈米说，估计显示，如果人们遵循政府关于饮酒的饮食指南，每年可以避免数千名美国人死亡。
The guidelines advise men to limit themselves to two drinks or fewer per day and women to one drink or fewer per day.
指南建议男性每天限制在两杯或更少，女性每天限制在一杯或更少。
An example of one drink would be equal to one 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or one serving of liquor.
一杯的示例相当于一罐12盎司的啤酒、一杯5盎司的葡萄酒或一份烈酒。
Medical experts say the idea that moderate drinking can cause health improvements, or benefits, came from imperfect studies.
医学专家表示，适量饮酒可以改善健康或带来益处的想法来自不完善的研究。
The research compared groups of people based on how much they drank, with amounts usually measured at only one point in time.
这项研究根据人们饮酒量来比较人群，而饮酒量通常只在某个时间点测量。
Since some earlier studies did not follow rules about what groups were measured, researchers say they did not effectively prove cause and effect.
由于一些早期研究没有遵循关于测量群体的规则，研究人员表示它们没有有效证明因果关系。
Naimi said people who report drinking moderately generally have higher levels of education, higher earnings and better resources for health care.
奈米说，报告适量饮酒的人通常具有更高的教育水平、更高的收入和更好的医疗资源。
He explained that when those elements are considered, "The benefits tend to disappear."
他解释说，当考虑到这些因素时，“益处往往会消失。”
Another problem, Naimi noted, was that most studies did not include younger people.
奈米指出，另一个问题是大多数研究没有包括年轻人。
Almost half of people who die from alcohol-related causes do so before the age of 50.
几乎一半因酒精相关原因死亡的人在50岁之前死亡。
Naimi said the studied groups did not effectively represent all drinkers.
奈米说，研究群体没有有效代表所有饮酒者。
This likely created "an appearance" of a benefit for moderate drinkers that is not real, he added.
他补充说，这可能为适量饮酒者创造了一种不真实的“益处表象”。
Health guidelines related to alcohol intake have wide differences from country to country.
与酒精摄入相关的健康指南在不同国家之间存在很大差异。
But the overall message today is that drinking less is better for health.
但今天的总体信息是，少喝酒对健康更好。
Britain, France, Denmark, Holland and Australia recently examined new evidence and lowered their guidelines for safe amounts of alcohol.
英国、法国、丹麦、荷兰和澳大利亚最近审查了新证据，并降低了他们的安全饮酒量指南。
Ireland plans to begin requiring cancer warnings on alcohol containers starting in 2026.
爱尔兰计划从2026年开始要求在酒精容器上标注癌症警告。
Carina Ferreira-Borges is an adviser on alcohol for the World Health Organization in Europe.
卡里娜·费雷拉-博尔赫斯是世界卫生组织欧洲区的酒精顾问。
She said scientists had changed their minds from earlier research.
她说科学家们已经改变了他们早期研究的看法。
This is because more recent studies suggest drinking alcohol is linked "to over 200 health conditions, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and injuries."
这是因为最近的研究表明饮酒与“超过200种健康状况有关，包括癌症、心血管疾病和伤害。”
Naimi said, "The simple message that's best supported by the evidence is that, if you drink, less is better when it comes to health."
奈米说：“证据最支持的简单信息是，如果你喝酒，从健康角度来看，少喝更好。”
