Alcohol, one of the most used drugs worldwide, is a controversial subject. Whereas some research suggests drinking alcohol improves health, an abundance of evidence indicates that drinking alcohol also harms health. Particularly, higher alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of many cancers. Some of the deleterious effects of drinking may be due to alcohol's effects on sleep. Although alcohol may help us feel calm and ready to sleep, it has surprising effects on REM sleep and maybe our waking behaviors too.   In this Aliquot, we discuss some of the risks and surprising effects of alcohol on human health and behavior.  00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:57 -  Multiple drinks per day increases the risk of many cancers (Member Q&A segments) 00:07:16 - Moderate alcohol consumption reduces cognitive impairment risk, heavy drinking increases it 00:08:58 - Mild alcohol intake increases the likelihood of living to 90 and improves insulin sensitivity 00:11:30 - Alcohol dampens autoimmunity, but increases infection risk  00:12:07 - Take-home messages about breast cancer 00:14:38 - Alcohol and four other factors that reduce sleep quality (Matthew Walker segments) 00:20:16 - Alcohol is a sedative, but reduces sleep continuity and suppresses REM sleep   Watch the full Q&A featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8pTzRBxgmg Watch the full interview featuring Dr. Walker: https://youtu.be/bEbtf7uS6P8 FoundMyFitness episode page: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/matthew-walker Watch the full interview featuring Tim Ferris: https://youtu.be/w3KuJVni5zQ FoundMyFitness episode page: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/tim-ferriss Get more Aliquots! Become a FMF Premium member and get full access to our members-only podcast, The Aliquot, plus live Q&As with Rhonda, biweekly Science Digest emails, and more. Learn more and sign up at: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/aliquot