But first - What are the habits of the longest living Americans?

I’m excited to announce an event I will be speaking at this fall in Newport Beach, CA. The guest speakers will be speaking to the habits and health benefits of the nearby Blue Zone in Loma Linda, California - the only American Blue Zone.

Use this code - 1up - to get $500 off if you register by 8/31/25.

Alcohol has been a force to be reckoned with!

Why are Republicans drinking less than democrats? Why are rich people drinking more than poor people?

Since I was a kid, I’ve always heard two messages in the world:

1 - All alcohol is bad for you

2 - Some alcohol - like wine - is actually good for you

For me I thankfully believed option 1 - and saw the impact of alcohol in the lives of people around me - it didn’t make anyone’s home life better. I never told my parents or my wife - “Hey look at those people - they seem so happy and the reason is because they drink alcohol.” But I can give you many marriages and homes that are destroyed by it.

Well it seems the tide is turning on this subject. My attention was peaked this past week watching a podcast where the host started to share about how Las Vegas was in trouble and tourism was down 11%. Why you ask? He said the weekends are what fuel the Vegas economy and with the latest trends in alcohol - Vegas apparently isn’t as desirable or fun if you are sober. So I went and found the data and its pretty shocking:

Here are the key findings from the Gallup “Consumption Habits” survey conducted July 7–21, 2025, as reported in August 2025:

Gallup Alcohol Poll — July 2025 Highlights

1. Drinking Rates at Record Low

 • Only 54% of U.S. adults reported drinking alcohol—the lowest level since Gallup began tracking in 1939.

 • For context, from 1997 to 2023, at least 60% reported drinking; the 2025 figure marks a significant ongoing decline.

2. Recent Consumption Snapshots

 • A mere 24% of U.S. adults said they had consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours—another new low.

 • Conversely, 40% reported that it had been more than a week since their last drink—the highest in decades.

3. Evolving Health Perceptions

 • A record 53% of Americans now believe that moderate drinking (“one or two drinks a day”) is harmful to health—a first in Gallup’s trend.

 • Only 6% say moderate drinking is good for health, with 37% believing it makes no difference.

 • In 2018, just 28% viewed moderate drinking as harmful—so this is a sharp shift.

4. Demographic Trends

 • Gender: Drinking dropped more sharply among women (down 11 points to 51%) compared to men (down 5 points to 57%) since 2023.

 • Age: Adults under 35 reported a 50% drinking rate—below older groups—and this is down from 59% in 2023.

 • Political Affiliation:

 • Republicans: Drinking plummeted 19 points to 46% in 2025.

 • Democrats: Slight dip to 61%.

 • Independents: Moderate decline to 55%.

 • Income: Those in households earning $100K+ had the highest drinking rate at 66%.

 • Race/Ethnicity: Drinking among non‑Hispanic White adults declined 11 points; it remained relatively stable (~50%) among people of color.

5. Overall Consumption Downshift

 • Among drinkers, the average number of drinks consumed in the past week is 2.8, down from 3.8 just a year ago—the lowest since 1996.

 • Those who view alcohol as unhealthy consumed fewer drinks (4.5 per week) compared to those without such concerns (6.4 drinks).

Methodology

 • Sample: 1,002 U.S. adults, July 7–21, 2025, via telephone interviews.

 • Margin of error: approximately ±4 percentage points for the full sample; ±5 points for drinkers.

Trends are one thing - but the science below makes the case that the trends are based on new knowledge we may not have had before.

Here is the Latest Science on the Negative Effects of Alcohol

• No safe level of alcohol: Even light drinking (more than seven drinks per week) raises mortality risk, with harms beginning at low levels [1].

• Cancer risk: Alcohol is a known carcinogen, causally linked to at least seven types of cancer including breast, liver, and colorectal [1][2].

• No longevity benefit: Harvard researchers found that even minimal drinking slightly increases cancer mortality, with moderate to heavy use raising all-cause death rates [3].

• Brain damage: Heavy and long-term use harms brain structure (white and gray matter), impairs cognition, accelerates brain aging, and contributes to dementia—though abstinence can allow partial recovery [4][5].

• Pancreatic cancer: New findings connect moderate alcohol intake with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer [6].

• Dementia risk: A 2025 autopsy-based study showed even moderate drinkers faced a 60% increased risk of dementia, while heavy drinkers faced a 133% increased risk, largely due to brain vascular damage [7].

I’m starting to wonder if a better method to determine if something is beneficial for a long healthy life or not is - can I give this substance in good conscience to my 6 year old daughter and feel at peace that it will make her stronger and happier? I think we would second guess many things with that criteria.

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I’d love to hear about your views or relationship with alcohol now or in your past. 👋

I write this newsletter each week because I feel my best when my body, mind and soul are all healthy. I want the same for you. If you feel like you’ve seen something valuable here, please do me a favor and forward this newsletter to a friend or let me know what you think by replying or texting me - (310) 879-8441

I think happy couples make the world go round. I also believe men can do more to lead and love in their lives. In light of that, I have found the following four books to be the 4 books every man should read and every woman should want their man to read.

• Good Energy - What makes for a Healthy Body and Mind?

• The Masculine in Relationship - How to Win the Trust, Lust and Devotion of a Strong Woman

• The Man’s Guide to Women - The Science of Happy Relationships

• The Desire of Ages - Leadership in a World of Cowards

Here are a few other links to things that have changed my life:

Whoop - Track your HRV and REM Sleep

Function Health - Optimize Your Health via 100+ BioMarkers

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

References

1. ICCPUD federal report (2025): Moderate drinking (≥7 drinks/week) increases mortality risk; links alcohol consumption with seven cancer types, with risk starting at low levels.

2. World Health Organization (2024): Alcohol is a carcinogen linked to liver, heart, various cancers, and mental health conditions.

3. Harvard Health (May 2025): No longevity benefits found at any alcohol level; low consumption increases cancer deaths.

4. NIAAA (May 2025): Heavy alcohol use damages brain structure and cognitive function; some reversibility with abstinence.

5. UK Biobank studies (2021–2023): Even occasional or daily drinking accelerates brain aging and decreases brain volume.

6. International PLOS Medicine study (2025): Moderate drinking associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk.

7. Brazilian autopsy study (2025): Moderate drinkers had 60% increased dementia risk; heavy drinkers 133%, with lasting brain pathology even after cessation.