'It's OK to drink six pints a day': Alcohol expert says up to 13 daily units AREN'T harmful for health

Dr Kari Poikolainen says moderate drinking is better than abstaining

Also claims that a bottle of wine every day won't harm health



It's news that beer lovers such as Homer Simpson have been waiting for.

Drinking up to six pints a day is OK for your health, a leading alcohol scientist has claimed.

Dr Kari Poikolainen, who used to work for the World Health Organisation as an alcohol expert, examined decades of research into its effects.

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Underestimated? Drinking up to six pints a day is OK for your health, a leading alcohol scientist has claimed

Limits: A pint of beer contains around two units. Men are currently meant to have no more than four units a day, and women three

He believes believes drinking only becomes harmful when people consume more than around 13 units a day.

Men are currently meant to have no more than four units a day but women are supposed to have three units.

This equates to 21 units for men and 14 for women. A pint of beer contains around two units.



Dr Poikolainen also claimed that people who exceed the recommended limit could live longer than teetotallers.

The Finnish scientist said: ' The weight of the evidence shows moderate drinking is better than abstaining and heavy drinking is worse than abstaining – however the moderate amounts can be higher than the guidelines say.’