DRINKING alcohol cuts your heart risk by stamping out stress, a study found.
“Light to moderate” consumption of one or two drinks per day can protect your ticker by relaxing you and reducing harmful swelling and damage in the blood vessels.
GettyScientists found people who are “light to moderate” drinkers had healthier hearts[/caption]
Scientists have long found that booze boosts health but are not sure why – now they say it could be as simple as chilling you out.
Experts at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston said a small protective effect in a vital brain region leads to a “significant downstream impact” in the heart.
A study of 50,000 Americans found light drinkers had a “substantially” lower rate of heart attacks and strokes.
And brain scans from 754 of the patients revealed they had “reduced stress signalling” in part of the brain called the amygdala.
Dr Ahmed Tawakol, senior author of the study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said: “We found that the brain changes in light to moderate drinkers explained a significant portion of the protective cardiac effects.
“When the amygdala is too alert and vigilant it drives up blood pressure and increases heart rate, and triggers the release of inflammatory cells.
“If the stress is chronic, the result is a substantial risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”
Drinking is known to help people unwind but the study suggests the effect works long-term.
But Dr Tawakol said it is important not to drink too much.
People who saw a benefit in the study enjoyed one drink per day for women or up to two for men.
NHS guidelines say people should not drink more than 14 units per week – six medium glasses of wine or six pints of beer.
Dr Tawakol found more than 14 drinks per week saw heart risk begin to rise again, and any amount of alcohol raised the risk of cancer.
He said: “We are not advocating the use of alcohol to reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes because of other concerning effects of alcohol on health.
“The goal is to find other approaches that could replicate or induce alcohol’s protective cardiac effects without the adverse impacts.”
Other studies have found that small but regular amounts of alcohol can reduce the risk of dementia, boost gut health and soothe aches and pains.