Forget everything you've ever heard about alcohol being bad for you – it's not, at least in moderation, scientists have now actually proven that alcohol can be beneficial for your heart.

In a study conducted at the University of Carolina, it was found that middle-aged non-drinkers were likely to benefit from protection against heart disease if they took to drinking something once a day. The research was conducted over a four-year period and involved 7,500 people, all of whom were tee-total to begin with. Scientists were looking to find a connection between drinking in moderation and the reduction of artherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries. 6% of the participants started having one drink per day (for women) or two (for men), and at the end of the study it was found that these "new drinkers" were 38% less likely to develop heart disease and artherosclerosis.
 
In addition to this, those who drank wine had the most significant reduction in risk of cardiovascular "events" such as heart attacks compared with non-drinkers and people who drank other forms of alcohol. An improvement in the levels of "good" cholesterol among those who took up drinking was also noted, just adding to the already clear benefits of drinking in moderation.

Although these findings were quite conclusive, it remains to be said that there are numerous dangers involved in drinking alcohol, Dana King who led the research in the US said "For carefully selected individuals, a 'heart healthy diet' may include limited alcohol consumption even among individuals who have not included alcohol previously."