Drinking a glass of wine could protect you from having a stroke

Cheers!

Thinking about doing dry January? Well, this might just dissuade you as now you can go with the excuse that you're going to be waaaay more health conscious in 2017. Yes, really. New research is now saying that a large glass of wine a day could be a preventative measure against having the most common type of stroke. We're listening...

The University of Cambridge study, which was carried out on 20,000 adults, found that three units of alcohol a day seemed to reduce the risk of these adults having an ischaemic stroke (the most common form where blood clots form and block the flow of oxygen and blood to your brain) by 8% in 85% of the cases. And light drinking, which is no more than one and a half units of alcohol a day (AKA a small glass of wine) reduces your risk of having a stroke by 10%, by increasing good cholesterol in your body.

It does this because alcohol consumption lowers levels of fibrinogen, which is the protein in your body that contributes to the formations of blood clots. In small doses, alcohol increases high-density lipoprotein, which is considered good for you as they help transport fat molecules around your body, rather than bad cholesterol that form fatty deposits that lead to heart disease or strokes. However, it's important to note that this is only in moderation as drinking heavily will also increase your blood pressure.

Dr Susanna Larsson, of the Karolinska Institute near Stockholm, has said: 'While this may explain the association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and lower ischaemic stroke risk, the adverse effect on blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, may increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke and outweigh any potential benefit.’

All in all, it's seems that a glass a day will keep a stroke away...