The research: Researchers analyzed data on more than 238,000 women and divided them into three categories based on their alcohol consumption. After crunching the numbers, researchers found that women who reported moderate alcohol consumption (about one drink per day) had a 22% decreased risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to women who don’t drink. Women who drank beer two to four times a week had a 31% decreased risk compared with those who never drank beer. What it means: Moderate alcohol consumption can already help your case for heart health and diabetes prevention. And while the mechanism between alcohol and rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic and often painful inflammatory condition surrounding the joints) is unclear, study author Bing Lu of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School points alcohol’s surprising anti-inflammatory affect. “Alcohol has been shown to diminish the response to immunogens in animals and humans, while also suppressing pro-inflammatory proteins,” he says. Bottom line: In this case, moderate alcohol consumption can do you some good—but go overboard and you could up your risk for certain cancers and put your liver at risk for damage. Stick with no more than one drink a day (two drinks for men), government guidelines recommend. MORE: 12 Healthy Tea Cocktails
