Drinking too much alcohol can cause a variety of health problems, from impairing judgment to liver damage. However, moderate drinking, defined as no more than one drink for women and two for men per day, can have beneficial effects on overall health. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, refrain from alcohol use since it can damage the fetus.
Decreases Heart Attack Risk
Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health studied the impact of alcohol consumption on heart attack risk in men. At the end of the study, which was published in the January 2003 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine," lead author Dr. Kenneth Mukamal and colleagues discovered that men who drank moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine and spirits, three times a week or more lowered their risk of heart attacks compared to nondrinkers.
Lessens Inflammation
Beer extracts might reduce inflammation, according to a study conducted by lead investigator Dietmar Fuchs and researchers from Innsbruck Medical University in Austria. They examined the effects of beer extracts on the body's production of neopterin, an indicator of inflammation, and tryptophan, a hormone that is lowered with more inflammation. The report, which was published in the March 2006 issue of the journal "International Immunopharmacology," revealed that extracts from any type of beer reduced the production of neopterin and prevented the lowering of tryptophan.
Decreases the Risk of Hypertension
Moderate amounts of alcohol might reduce the risk of hypertension in women. Scientists from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's hospital investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on hypertension risk in women. In the report, which was published in the March 2002 issue of the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine," lead author Dr. Ravi Thadhani and colleagues discovered that alcohol intake in moderate amounts lowered women's risk of developing high blood pressure.
Reduces the Severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gerry Wilson led a team of researchers who investigated the impact of alcohol consumption on the severity of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes joint damage and pain. They discovered that subjects who drank alcohol frequently experienced reductions in the severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms compared to less frequent drinkers and nondrinkers. Scientists reported their findings in the June 2010 issue of the journal "Rheumatology."
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