Eat Europe calls on European institutions, and particularly the European Parliament, to take these scientific findings into account in ongoing discussions on the INI initiative on cardiovascular disease.

Eat Europe highlights the latest scientific evidence from the study presented at the Annual Scientific Session ACC.26, organized by the American College of Cardiology, which confirms that the health impact of alcohol depends not only on the amount consumed but also on the type of beverage and the context in which it is consumed.

The study underlines that high alcohol intake is associated with a significantly increased risk of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. At the same time, important differences emerge at low to moderate levels of consumption.

Notably, moderate wine consumption was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared with never or occasional drinkers, suggesting a potential protective effect. The study highlights that “looking at deaths from cardiovascular disease in particular, researchers found that moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with never or occasional drinkers”.

These findings reinforce a key point: not all drinking patterns are equivalent. Factors such as drinking context, consumption with meals, overall diet quality, and lifestyle behaviours significantly influence health outcomes.

“The latest scientific evidence clearly shows that simplistic approaches to alcohol consumption are insufficient,” says Eat Europe. “It is essential to distinguish between harmful and moderate consumption.”

In light of these results, EAT Europe calls on European institutions, and particularly the European Parliament, to take these scientific findings into account in ongoing discussions on the INI initiative on cardiovascular disease.

“We urge that European policy debates be fully informed by current scientific evidence and that a clear distinction is always made between harmful and moderate consumption,” the organization concludes.

EAT Europe reaffirms its commitment to evidence-based health policies that reflect the complexity of consumption behaviours and their effects on public health.