For people with the approval of their physician, drinking light to moderate amounts of alcohol may have a number of health benefits. Some research has linked light to moderate drinking, particularly red wine (no more than one drink a day for women, two for men) to a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers, such as lymphoma.

Such findings are not without controversy. In 2006, researchers reviewed 54 studies touting cardiovascular benefits of light drinking and found that only seven of them distinguished between people who abstained from alcohol by choice and those who might have stopped drinking because of health concerns. Higher death rates found in nondrinkers could be due to the poor health of those who recently had to stop drinking, the analysis concluded.

However, authorities such as the Harvard School of Public Health say moderate drinking can help prevent diabetes. And two recent European studies, one involving nearly 370,000 people for an average of 12 years, support this assertion.

Moderate drinking also raises levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and has been linked to increased insulin sensitivity. In 2005, data from the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) indicated that moderate drinking may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Recent research suggests that a drink or two a day may help cut the risk of artery disease among people with type 2 diabetes. The study found that light to moderate drinkers showed less artery stiffness compared with either nondrinkers or heavy drinkers. Arterial stiffness increases as the blood vessel disease atherosclerosis progresses, and it can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Exactly why moderate drinking was linked to less artery stiffness is unclear. It may be associated with the increase of HDL cholesterol. At this point, medical experts do not recommend that nondrinkers begin drinking alcohol for better health.