Daily Drink Helps Women Lower Stroke Risk

Sure, wine is always considered the "healthy" alcohol, but a new study says any sort of alcohol could help ladies reduce their risk of having a stroke.

The study, published in the journal Stroke, found that women who drank one glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail daily were less at risk for heart disease, compared to women who don't drink.

The ongoing study examined more than 83,000 women over the course of 26 years, with 30 percent of subjects consisting of non-drinkers. Thirty-five percent reported drinking less than half a glass of wine daily, whereas 4 percent said they drank 2 to 3 glasses daily.

Women who drank a little or moderately had less risk of heart disease. Researchers suggest that alcohol may increase HDL (good cholesterol) and reduce the risk of blood clots, and less blood clots means less of a chance of ischemic stroke (the common type).

Given that only a few of the women drank heavily, the study couldn't find an accurate relationship between stroke risk and heavy drinking, although studies have shown that heavy drinking does negatively affect heart health. So in the meantime, a glass a day might just do the trick. Happy Friday!