Alcohol may be less harmful for people over 50 recent studies examine the health impact of consuming alcohol at different ages. the authors conclude that, for people over the age of 50, the health risks may be less severe heavy drinking is linked to a range of serious health consequences these include certain cancers, liver and heart disease, and damage to the nervous system, including the brain however, as has been exhaustively covered in the popular press, drinking in moderation might have certain health benefits a number of studies have concluded that drinking alcohol at a low level could have a protective effect one study, for instance, found that light and moderate drinking protected against all-cause mortality, as well as mortality related to cardiovascular disease it is no surprise that these stories have been well-received and widely read, but not all researchers agree, and the debate is ongoing alcohol is injurious to health specially for over 50 people.