An occasional glass of wine does not benefit your heart, according to a review of 45 studies.

Previous studies have suggested moderate drinkers have lower heart disease rates than teetotallers, leading to the widespread myth that the occasional indulgence boosts our heart health.

Yet, alcohol abstainers in these past studies may have been former drinkers who quit or cut down due to an existing health concern, and are therefore less healthy than moderate drinkers irrespective of their alcohol consumption, the review found.

Healthy older people may also be more inclined to enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink than those with existing health problems, the research adds.

This gives the false illusion of an association between moderate drinking and better health, the researchers said.

Lead author Dr Tim Stockwell, director of the Center for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, said: 'The notion that one or two drinks a day is doing us good may just be wishful thinking.'

An occasional glass of wine does not benefit your heart health, according a 45 study review

EATING CHEESE DOES NOT RAISE YOUR HEART ATTACK RISK Eating dairy does not raise the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, a team of international experts have found. Even full-fat cheese, milk and yoghurt do not increase the danger, a meta-analysis of 29 studies revealed. The research team, including the University of Reading, concluded that dairy has only a neutral impact on human health. Ian Givens, professor of food chain nutrition at Reading University, said: ‘There’s quite a widespread but mistaken belief among the public that dairy products in general can be bad for you, but that’s a misconception. 'While it is a widely held belief, our research shows that that’s wrong.' Dr Givens added that public health warnings have seen people shun full-fat versions of cheese, milk or yoghurt, in the mistaken belief that they could harm their health. Young people, especially young women, risk damage to their bones and osteoporosis by drinking too little milk, which can deprive them of calcium, he said. Advertisement

Researchers followed more than 9,100 adults from the UK aged between 23 and 55.

They found that moderate drinkers - defined as those who had up to two alcoholic beverages a day - had a lower risk of heart disease than nondrinkers.

Yet, this was not the case when the researchers analysed the drinking habits of younger people - aged 55 or less - and then followed them to an older age when they are more at-risk of heart disease.

The researchers argue that while past studies suggest nondrinkers are less healthy than those who drink moderately, this is likely due to our health influencing our drinking habits, resulting in people with poor health choosing to abstain.

Dr Stockwell, said: 'We know that people generally cut down on drinking as they age, especially if they have health problems.

'People who continue to be moderate drinkers later in life are healthier.

'They're not sick, or taking medications that can interact with alcohol.

'We can't "prove" it one way or the other. But we can say there are grounds for a healthy skepticism around the idea that moderate drinking is good for you.'

The researchers also revealed that people's drinking habits change over time, with few people typically being lifelong alcohol abstainers.

Their results also showed than nondrinkers of any age tend to be in poorer physical and mental health compared to those who drink moderately and do not smoke. They are also typically less educated, which is an important factor in lifetime health, the researchers said.

The review is published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

These findings contradict a recent study by the University of Cambridge that found men and women who drink moderately - no more than 14 units a week - are at less risk of heart problems than teetotallers.

Yet, adults who exceed this limit – defined as heavy drinkers – greatly increase their risk of common heart complications, they found.