A Glass a Day Won’t Keep the Doctor Away

NZ researchers have put a dampener on previous claims that drinking in moderation is good for the heart. According to Auckland University’s Dr Rod Jackson, the studies conducted in the 1970s and 80s were flawed and the harm caused by drinking almost certainly outweighs any positive side effects. Alcoholics, he points out, have “clean” arteries, which indicates that heavy drinking is in fact better for the heart than a glass or two a day. But any coronary benefits gained from drinking heavily are rendered useless by the damage alcoholism inflicts on the rest of the body’s functions.