Alcohol is healthy

1. Alcohol: A Healthy Lifestyle

2. Background Information NIAAA

3. What is Moderation? Medical researchers generally describe moderation as one to three drinks per day

4. Longevity A Harvard study found the risk of death from all health causes to be 21% to 28% lower among men who drank alcohol moderately, compared to abstainers A British analysis of 12,000 male physicians found that moderate drinkers had the lowest risk of death from all causes during the 13 year study.

5. Longevity An analysis of the 89,299 men in the Physicians' Health Study over a period of five and a half years found that those who drink alcohol in moderation tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that moderate drinking increased the length of life by about 3% among white males.

6. Healthier Lives A nation-wide survey in the U.S. revealed that daily moderate drinkers experienced significantly less acute hospitalization. A nation-wide Canadian study found moderate drinkers who consumed alcohol daily to have 15% less disability than the general population.

7. Heart Attacks Harvard researchers have identified the moderate consumption of alcohol as a proven way to reduce coronary heart disease risk. -- 106 men had heart attacks-- 1,282 men consumed about two drinks per day, of whom 8 had heart attacks-- 714 men consumed over two drinks per day, of whom 9 had heart attacks-- 1,889 men never drank, of whom 28 had heart attacks

8. Heart Attacks The American Heart Association, based on the research evidence, concludes that the “Consumption of one or two drinks per day is associated with a reduction in risk of (coronary heart disease) approximately 30% to 50%.”

9. Other benefits High Blood Pressure

10. Other Benefits Drinking alcohol (beer, wine, or distilled spirits) in moderation was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes among women age 40-70 in a large study in the Netherlands that followed them for an average of over six years. A study of almost 21,000 physicians for over 12 years has found that men who are light to moderate drinkers have a decreased risk of Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus.