Busting The Myths of Alcohol

Settling it once and for all

AuthorAuthor

Alex Garner & Matthew Stainer
May 11, 2026

SOBER LIFE CEO WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Some of you might be thinking, how did I get signed up for this? Well, Alex Garner’s old newsletter was called “NeuroSober Newsletter.” Alex and I have joined forces across the pond to create Sober Life CEO. Don’t worry, we will still be discussing Neuroscience throughout our editions of the newsletter, as we know that’s why you were here in the first place.

“WINE IS GOOD FOR THE HEART”

Does anybody remember the studies that came out about 5-10 years ago that said “One glass of wine is good for the heart?”

I certainly do. It was an excuse for me to keep drinking. But if you read below, you’re quickly learn that this is a Myth. Sorry wine-o’s!

The 'glass of wine a day' myth came from studies that put sick ex-drinkers in the 'non-drinker' group. When researchers fixed the bias, the benefit vanished.

The key flaw he exposed: Older studies counted former drinkers and sick "quit drinking for health reasons" people as "abstainers." That made non-drinkers look unhealthier than they actually were, which made moderate drinkers look protected. This is called abstainer bias or the sick quitter effect.

Over 70 studies were reviewed and found bias when hypothesizing if alcohol was good for your heart and body.

Feature Story

THE SHUT-DOWN NIH STUDY

The $100 Million Study That Was Supposed to Prove Drinking Was Good for You (And Why the NIH Killed It)

In 2018, the National Institutes of Health shut down its own clinical trial.

Not because it failed.

Because of what they found before it could even finish.

THE STORY

The study was called MACH15. The Moderate Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health trial.

It was a $100 million, six-year experiment designed to prove that one drink a day reduced your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

7,800 participants. Multiple research sites. The kind of large, randomized trial that, if successful, would have let doctors officially recommend daily drinking as part of a healthy diet.

There was just one problem.

Two-thirds of the funding came from five of the largest alcohol companies in the world. Anheuser-Busch InBev. Heineken. Carlsberg. Diageo. Pernod Ricard.

And NIH investigators discovered that senior officials had been secretly courting these companies for years.

Internal emails showed researchers pitching the study to alcohol executives as "a unique opportunity to show that moderate alcohol consumption is safe and lowers risk of common diseases."

One staffer referred to the team as "team health benefits of drinking."

NIH Director Francis Collins called the conduct "way outside of the acceptable culture of our noble institution."

The agency terminated the trial in June 2018.

WHY THIS MATTERS

For decades, the idea that "a glass of wine a day is good for your heart" has been treated as common knowledge.

That belief did not come from independent science.

It came from a research environment where, as one peer-reviewed analysis put it, "research funding officials, researchers, and industry executives coproduced the biased trial design."

In other words, the science you were told to trust was being shaped by the companies that profit from your drinking.

When you remove the bias, the story changes completely. The longevity benefit disappears. The heart protection shrinks or vanishes. The "healthy moderate drinker" turns out to be, in many studies, a former heavier drinker who had to quit because they got sick.

THE TAKEAWAY

If you have ever felt foolish for questioning whether your nightly glass of wine was really "healthy," you were not being paranoid.

You were paying attention.

The next time someone tells you alcohol is good for your heart, ask them where that idea came from.

The answer is usually a marketing budget, not a microscope.

SOURCE 1 → NIH official announcement

SOURCE 2 → Science Magazine (AAAS, the gold standard for science journalism)

SOURCE 3 → Peer-reviewed academic analysis in the American Journal of Public Health

The Essentials

YOUR MONTHLY TOOLS

5-STEP MORNING ROUTINE

Follow this 5-Step Morning Routine to change the way you take on your day. Try it for 7 days and I promise you, you will see a change.

URGE SURFING WORKSHEET

Urges, also known as cravings, can come unannounced and fast. Here is what to do beforehand, so your body and mind are ready for when it happens in real life.

HABIT TRACKER

This tool is still in the incubator stage, but check it out! It helps your track, set, and meet your new habit goals. Hold yourself accountable with The Everyday App.

TRIGGERS WORKSHEET

Discover and raise your awareness around your triggers then track them with this tool. Do this at least once a month as our triggers often change over time.

Visionary Voices

A CONVERSATION WITH MATTHEW STAINER (CEO)

Meet the Psychotherapist and Sober Coach that has helped over 500 Executives, CEO’s, and High Performers get and stay sober. In this video, Matthew covers the 6 brutal truths about alcohol that high achievers refuse to face.

A Final Note

NOTES FROM THE CEO

Thank you for taking the time to read this edition of Sober Life CEO Newsletter.

Welcome in and get comfortable (well, not too comfortable), we are here to help those who are sober curious to educate themselves on what alcohol is actually doing to your body, mind, and spirit.

If you are ready to quit drinking, visit https://www.soberlifeceo.com/book and book a call today.

Until next time,

100% Confidential, 1-on-1 Professional Therapy and Coaching

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