A Drink a Day May Keep Heart Disease Away…

In recent years there has been a big push in the United States for people to adopt a more Mediterranean lifestyle and diet. This concept is based on the fact that many people in the Mediterranean have longer life spans than Americans and have much lower rates of heart disease. Although eating Mediterranean style cuisine is delicious, the fact that the diet encourages moderate drinking may even be a more welcome surprise to many. Until recently it was unknown whether drinking actually played a role in reducing heart disease when compared to people who never drank. Two new studies, however, begin to put that debate to rest.

The first study was conducted by researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and involved reviewing the results of a CDC Study of approximately 250,000 adults between 1987 and 2000. According to WebMD, the researchers divided the participants into six categories based on their alcohol consumption, ranging from heavy drinkers to complete abstainers. Light drinkers were characterized as drinking three or fewer drinks per week, while moderate drinkers had four to seven drinks per week for women and four to fourteen drinks per week for men. They found that the light drinkers had a thirty-one percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who did not drink. The statistics were even better for the moderate drinking group at thirty-eight percent less likely to die from heart disease. The research found a caveat to the good news about alcohol, however, noting that drinking in excess of the moderate amounts did not improve heart health.

The second study was conducted by an Italian research team and it found that women who had one drink per day and men who had two drinks per day had a great impact on prohibiting the development of heart disease. Those who drank more than twenty-five grams, however, did not have the same protections and were more likely to die from any cause, not just heart disease. WebMD notes that the researchers do not expressly recommend that people who do not currently drink begin to consume alcohol for heart health benefits. However, these two studies seem to strongly support the idea that moderate drinking plays a protective role in the heart health of many individuals. So while having a drink or two per day appears like it may help to decrease the chances of developing heart disease, it is important to discuss your diet and drinking habits with your doctor. Additionally, if you suffer from alcoholism or other health conditions, you may need to refrain from drinking and pursue other treatment options. Otherwise, cheers!