I don’t listen to health podcasts so not sure what they’re saying precisely but alcohol is literally a poison to the body. That doesn’t mean you can’t drink it in moderation and still live a long life, but to deny its toxic effects on the body is to deny reality.
That’s not my point. Of course it is. It’s also been consumed for thousands of years for other reasons.
The question is - in fairly moderate consumption in the right settings, is alcohol a net benefit to most people ? I’d say unquestioningly yes. Anti depressant and stress relieving effects are so powerful, for a small price. But this is like saying any medication is harmless - it never is. Alcohol is the psychological lubricant for civilisation.
