Moderate alcohol consumption… may?

Forget an apple a day to keep the doctor away – research shows a glass of wine could be just as effective.

Those who enjoy a daily tipple may actually be doing your body some good by helping support your immune system. Recent studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption may in fact strengthen the immune system and could even improve the body’s ability to fight infection.

One recent study, published in the journal, Vaccine, by researchers at the School of Medicine, University of California, showed that moderate drinking could also improve the body’s response to vaccinations such as the flu vaccine.

What is moderate drinking?

But before you throw away the wine cork, it’s important to realise that all health benefits associated with alcohol are primarily when it is imbibed in moderation. And moderation is generally accepted as no more than two drinks a day for men and only one a day for women.

One drink means one bottle of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of liquor such as whisky. However, the size of our glass has also to be considered – if you can fit half a bottle in your wine glass it’s safe to say that’s not equivalent to the one drink the experts advise.

For the study the researchers trained 12 rhesus macaques to consume alcohol on their own accord after vaccinating them against small pox. They were then provided access to 4% alcohol and the other group had access to sugar water. They all had access to normal water and food.

Over a 14-month period they were vaccinated again and the scientists found that their voluntary alcohol intake varied, as it does in humans. So they were divided into two groups – heavy drinkers and moderate drinkers.