Having up to 2 and a half bottles of wine a week can lower the risk of premature death in both men and women, as opposed to those who are heavy drinkers or who abstain, researchers from Denmark say.

New research suggests that having a moderate consumption of alcohol could be more beneficial on one’s health than complete abstinence or excessive consumption. Moderate drinkers are less likely than both heavy drinkers and teetotalers to die of heart disease.

Physical activity also appears to be a factor that intensifies the effect, Martin Grønbaek, of the University of Southern Denmark in Copenhagen and his colleagues, said.

Gronbaek, lead author, and his team conducted their study over a 20-year period and worked with almost 12,000 Danish men and women. The researchers found that having up to 14 drinks a week – classified as a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or a single measure of sprits – brings along the greatest health benefits.

Among the participants, the healthiest were those who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol and were also moderately or very physically active. This group presented half the risk of dying from heart disease than teetotalers who did not exercise.

Surprisingly enough, active nondrinkers presented the same risk of heart disease as inactive moderate drinkers. While this may be a welcome excuse for many to maintain a sedentary lifestyle while enjoying an occasional drink, experts insist that moderation in drink coupled with exercise is a significantly healthier alternative.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, also found that people who drank moderate amounts of alcohol but did not exercise were 30 per cent less likely to suffer heart disease than inactive nondrinkers.

Comparing nondrinkers and moderate drinkers who performed the same amount of exercise, the researchers found that the first group had up to 32 per cent higher risk of heart disease.

Exercise did not bring significant benefits in heavy drinkers, as these presented a higher risk of heart disease than those who drank less even if they had plenty of physical activity.