Research Report: Alcohol benefits
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Older adults who enjoy a few alcoholic beverages each week can potentially reduce their risk of heart disease or death by about 25 percent.
That’s the finding of a University of Florida study that shows moderate alcohol consumption can cut the risk of a heart attack or death thanks to cellular or genetic interactions in the body. UF researcher Cinzia Maraldi studied healthy seniors who enjoyed seven or fewer drinks a week.
Maraldi: “According to the results of our study, light to moderate alcohol intake seems to have a protective effect on cardiovascular disease.”
Yet experts say individuals should base alcohol consumption on their own likely risks and benefits.
Maraldi: “If there are no medical conditions that preclude from alcohol intake and in the context of adequate treatment of cardiovascular risk factors, I would suggest light to moderate alcohol consumption that seems to prevent cardiovascular disease.”
In fact, research shows those protective effects go away when seniors have more than seven drinks per week.