Moderate alcohol intake can halve the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, new research shows.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease caused by a malfunctioning immune system. How can you recognize arthritis? Well if you feel pain and stiffness in your body or have trouble moving around, you might have arthritis. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Over time, a swollen joint becomes severely damaged, but the negative impact on your body doesn’t end here, as some kinds of arthritis can also cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.

The disease is determined partly by genes and partly by factors such as smoking and drinking. Previous studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of the disease.

Forty-six million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, which is the most common cause of disability in the U.S., limiting the activities of nearly 19 million adults.

For the new study, Scandinavian scientists led by Henrik Kallberg, of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm looked at 2,750 people, 1,650 of whom had rheumatoid arthritis. The participants were interviewed bout their lifestyles, including habits like smoking and drinking.

Genetic factors were also considered when studying their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

The study found that the risk of developing this disease was 50 percent lower for those who drank the equivalent of five glasses of wine a week compared with those who drank the least. The good news is that moderate alcohol consumption cut the risk of rheumatoid arthritis even in the participants who smoke or have a genetic predisposition to the disease.

“The observed inverse association between alcohol intake and the risk of RA and the recent demonstration of a preventive effect of alcohol in experimental arthritis indicate that alcohol may protect against RA,” the researchers wrote.

However, this study should not be understood as an encouragement to drink more because alcohol is also known for its negative consequences on people’s health. Besides moderate drinking, people should also take into consideration improving their lifestyles adding more hours of physical activity to their schedule, a balanced diet, and no smoking in order to prevent arthritis.