Glass of wine keeps asthma at bay

In this photo taken Friday Dec. 18, 2009, a glass of Dolce wine sits atop a barrel in the Dolce cellar in Oakville, Calif. With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

In this photo taken Friday Dec. 18, 2009, a glass of Dolce wine sits atop a barrel in the Dolce cellar in Oakville, Calif. With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Published Sep 29, 2011

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London - Drinking two or three glasses of wine a week could cut the risk of asthma, experts claim.

Researchers found that those who drink alcohol in moderation are less likely to develop the condition than teetotallers.

However, they also discovered that heavy drinkers - those taking on four or more units each day - faced a slightly increased risk.

Researchers from the Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen studied nearly 40,000 people aged between 12 and 41 for eight years.

They found that more than six percent of those who rarely drank developed asthma within that period, followed by about 4.5 percent of the heavy drinkers.

Those who stayed within six units a week - the equivalent of three glasses of wine or pints of beer - had the lowest risk, with less than four percent developing asthma.

Sofie Lieberoth, who presented the findings to the European Respiratory Society in Amsterdam, said: “While excessive alcohol intake can cause health problems, the findings suggest that a moderate intake can reduce the risk of developing asthma.”

Leanne Metcalf, director of research at Asthma UK, said that although the study was valuable, it remains “too early to say if people should change their drinking habits” based on the research. - Daily Mail

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