BEER FOR THE HEART

YOU MAY think you’re making a healthier decision by choosing to not partake in a drink at cocktail hour, but new research shows that a half a pint of beer per day could actually be beneficial to your health. Brigham and Women’s Hospital has published a study hypothesizing that moderate alcohol consumption (no more than seven drinks per week) can actually reduce the risk of heart failure. In the study, male participants who drank moderately were found to have a 2O-percent lower risk of heart failure than those participants who completely abstained from drinking alcohol, Female participants were shown to have a 16 percent lower risk. “These findings suggest that drinking alcohol in moderation does not contribute to an increased risk of heart failure and may even be protective,” said Dr. Scott Solomon, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and head researcher in the study. “No level of alcohol intake was associated with a higher risk of heart failure. However, heavy alcohol use is certainly a risk factor for deaths from any cause.” Although these results may make many beer drinkers feel justified in their indulgence, remember that, as expected, those participants in the study who drank heavily were found to have a much higher risk of heart failure.