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Moderate drinking may assist in the prevention of heart disease, according to the results of a study published by researchers at the School of Medicine.
"These are the types of findings that can make a difference in the prevention of heart disease," said Dr. Puran S. Bora, associate professor of internal medicine in the division of cardiology and lead researcher of the study. "According to the results, when the alcohol consumption is controlled it is helpful in lowering the bad cholesterol. The process inhibits the formation of plaque in the arteries and reduces the chance of heart disease."
The study was performed on rabbits. Half of the rabbits in the study were given moderate levels of alcohol. These rabbits were more likely to have lower cholesterol levels than rabbits not given the same amounts of alcohol.
The result of this study complements other studies that proved that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol have healthy benefits for the heart. Moderate levels of alcohol translate into one or two drinks a day.
Bora and his team of researchers devoted more than two years to the project before reporting their findings. The results of the study were published recently in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology.
This marks the second study in which Bora has shown evidence indicating that moderate amounts of alcohol are good for heart disease prevention.
"It is extremely important that people remember that just because moderate drinking is good for the heart, it doesn't mean heavy drinking will have healthy benefits for the heart," he said. "In fact, consuming large amounts of alcohol can be a major factor in someone getting heart disease."