Research has shown that moderate drinking may benefit heart health, particularly for people with a higher risk of heart attack. Moderate drinkers are actually less likely to suffer heart attacks than people who don’t drink at all.  

An American Heart Association study found that risk of stroke for moderate drinkers was half that of people who did not drink. A Harvard University study also found that young adults who consumed 1-3 drinks per day had the lowest levels of high blood pressure.

However, the key to these benefits is moderation; heavy drinking over a long period of time will increase the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and some types of stroke.

The risk of several cancers is increased if you drink heavily over a long period of time, especially cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat, and larynx. Some research suggests a connection between alcohol consumption and breast cancer in women. However, other research shows that light to moderate drinking does not increase risk, and further, that women who have a high intake of folic acid offset any possible increased risk from moderate drinking.

Alcoholism will usually lead to some loss of mental function. However, alcohol does not cause brain cells to die. This idea was promoted by the same people who said alcohol in the blood can cause people to self-combust and burn alive!

Moderate drinking may even benefit memory among older women and has also been associated with better cognitive skills. A recent study of more than 12,000 elderly women (aged 71-80) found that those who consumed light to moderate amounts of alcohol daily had about a 20 percent lower risk of problems with their mental abilities later in life. Note the emphasis, once again, on moderate consumption; chronic alcohol abuse can cause serious neurological damage.

However, alcohol can diminish congnition in young people whose brains are not yet fully developed. Alcohol also affects a baby's development in the womb and can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This condition is associated with learning and developmental disabilities, especially in mathematics and memory.

A woman who drinks during pregnancy increases the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) for her unborn baby. FAS is usually associated with heavy drinking on the part of the mother, however as no safe limit is known it is best not to drink at all during pregnancy. In research involving 400,000 American women one standard drink per day was not shown to cause any harmful effects. Many other studies back this up; however, the recommendation to abstain is still safest.