Women who drink moderately 'less prone to weight gain'
Women who drink moderately 'less prone to weight gain'
Drinking low to moderate levels of alcohol could help prevent weight gain in healthy women, a new study suggests.According to US researchers, normal-weight women who drink moderately have a lower risk of becoming overweight and obese than those who do not drink alcohol.
The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at 20,000 women aged 39 or over and with a normal body mass index between 18.5 and 25.
Over a period of 13 years, women who did not drink alcohol at all were found to gain the most weight, with moderate drinkers more likely to remain slim.
In total, women who drank between 15 and 30 grams of alcohol a day were almost 30 per cent less likely to become overweight, the researchers found.
The study's authors said red wine had the strongest association with weight maintenance, but stressed that further investigations into the link were needed.
According to Irish organisation safefood, around 59 per cent of adults in Ireland are currently classed as overweight or obese.
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