Put Down That Pint; Pick Up That Pinot

More good news for wine enthusiasts: A study released in Mondays Journal of the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that for a group of middle-aged men from eastern France, drinking a "moderate" amount (two to five glasses!) of wine each day may have health benefits greater than previously thought. But before plunging joyfully into your carafe, take a moment to consider the rest of the story. Numerous studies have emerged in the last several years, touting and then rescinding reports the relative benefits of wine, beer and hard liquor. This includes a recent Harvard study that reported all alcohols will deliver the same health benefits. Conversely, the new French study concludes that all alcohols are not created equal. According to these researchers, the health benefits of drinking wine which include lowered rates of cardiovascular death, cancer and violent deaths outweigh any of the positive effects of moderate beer consumption (maybe beer drinkers get in more brawls). Test subjects who consumed a moderate amount of wine each day also had a lower death rate than those who drank rarely or not at all. Why does wine seem to pack a healthier punch than its bibulous cousins? "Wine is made from grapes, which may mean that the grape skins are providing some beneficial nutrients," says Christine Gorman, TIME senior writer for health and medicine. Not coincidentally, another recent study from the University of Wisconsin shows that flavonoids, compounds found in red wine and purple grape juice, helps fight arterial disease. While all of these results are promising, no one recommends drinking to excess although the definition of excess can certainly be debated. For some people, finishing five glasses of wine is an Olympian feat almost certain to result in extended gastrointestinal and/or cranial consequences. For others (the French?), its all in a days, er, work. While their conflicting accounts may serve to confuse the public, studies such as this have proved a boon to the wine industry. They hope that you will take this new information to heart, and wash it down with a glass or two of merlot.