Alcohol can be good for you - in moderation
Alcohol DOES have a role in a healthy diet – in moderation. New research shows one drink per day or less is good for the heart.
Moderate amounts of alcohol can protect the heart more than not drinking at all, conclude researchers behind two new studies.
Individuals who drink in moderation are 14%-25% less likely to develop heart disease compared to those who drink no alcohol at all, a study at the University of Calgary concludes.
Scientists now want there to be a balance between the public health message that consuming large amounts of alcohol is bad for you, and the one that drinking in moderation can have health benefits.
“There may now be an impetus to better communicate to the public that alcohol, in moderation, may have overall health benefits that outweigh the risks in selected subsets of patients,” said Professor William Ghali, who led the study.
Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This analysis of previous studies supports what we already know about moderate drinking reducing our risk of cardiovascular disease."
