Glass of wine three times a week can help beat diabetes
DRINKING alcohol on three or four days every week can protect against diabetes, a study has found.
That level of drinking was associated with a reduced risk of 27 per cent in men and 32 per cent in women, compared with abstaining.
Wine had the best effect, probably because it contains chemical compounds that improve blood sugar balance, said researchers.
But there was a warning to women to stay clear of the gin. A daily tipple of spirits increased the diabetes risk to women by 83 per cent.
Previous studies had suggested light to moderate alcohol consumption can cut SWEET-TOOTHED men could be making themselves anxious and depressed, scientists say.
They found the risk of mood disorders was a fifth higher in men who had more than 67g of sugar per day compared with those on less than 39.5g.
The average British man has a 68.4g per day sugar habit.
Lead researcher Dr Anika Knuppel said: “There is evidence for the physical damage sugar does. Our work suggests an additional mental health effect.” the risk of diabetes, but the new research is the first to focus on drinking frequency.
The Danish authors wrote in the journal Diabetologia: “Our findings suggest alcohol drinking frequency is associated with the risk of diabetes.
“Consumption of alcohol over three to four weekdays is associated with the lowest risks of diabetes, even after taking average weekly alcohol consumption into account.”
In terms of the amount consumed, men who downed 14 drinks per week were 43 per cent less likely to develop diabetes.
The diabetes risk to women who consumed nine drinks per week was 58 per cent lower.