Excessive drinking leads to unhealthier aging. Occasional drinking doesn’t seem to have detrimental effects. 

(Ortolá et al., 2022)

High levels of alcohol consumption are known to have detrimental effects on health. Although some studies have shown that drinking low levels of alcohol can reduce mortality, these findings have been questioned due to methodological limitations. A recent meta-analysis found that even a low level of alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of cancer and other diseases.

Ortolá et al., 2022 a prospective cohort study investigated whether lifetime alcohol consumption is associated with unhealthy aging.

Researchers assessed mental health, self-reported vitality, morbidities (incidence of diseases), and functional impairments (physical and cognitive) against the frequency of lifetime alcohol consumption (low, medium, or high) in participants. 

Medium and high-frequency alcohol consumption was associated with unhealthier aging (especially incidences of disease and functional impairment). Occasional alcohol consumption did not show a strong association with unhealthier again.

Reference:

Ortolá R, García-Esquinas E, Carballo-Casla A, Sotos-Prieto M, Banegas JR, Rodríguez-Artalejo F. Alcohol consumption patterns and unhealthy aging among older lifetime drinkers from Spain. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 Jun 1;235:109444. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109444. Epub 2022 Apr 7. PMID: 35421688.