Can Drinking Reduce Coronary Disease?

A 1997 Japanese study discovered that consumption of beverage alcohol may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease among middle-aged men (40-59). It concluded that this potential benefit is associated with the ethanol (alcohol) in liquor, beer, and wine, rather than with a particular type of beverage alcohol product.

The researchers found a lower incidence of coronary heart disease among the men who consumed beverage alcohol compared to those who never did. Just 0.5% of the beverage alcohol consumed by the participants was from grape wine. The remainder was from distilled spirits (whiskey, gin, vodka, etc.), beer, and rice wine. The researchers stated the study results "were consistent with those from a recent meta-analysis, showing that all alcoholic drinks were linked with a...