People drink alcohol, for many reasons.  If you are worrying about your immune system, trying to prevent or fight cancer, you should not drink any alcohol, because it interferes with a variety of immune defenses and has been linked to certain kinds of infections.  If you need a drink to relax and reduce stress, technically this helps your immune system, but the experts say that the benefits do not outweigh the risks.

There are several research studies that conclude that alcohol increases the risk of mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectal and breast cancers.  Like all studies, we are always suspicious of the net results, because we do not always know who funded them, or whether the subjects of the research were truly forthright and honest.  As part of living your life in balance, we side with moderation.

Drinking too much comes with its own risks, like increasing your blood pressure and triglycerides, and risk of stroke, causing depression and adding unwanted calories to your diet.  There have been several studies that suggest that moderate drinking is good for your heart. Moderate drinking can raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and reduce plaque accumulation in your arteries, as well as having a mild anti-coagulating effect, keeping blood platelets from forming together to create blood clots.

Men with high blood pressure should not have more than two drinks per day, with a couple of alcohol-free days per week; women with high blood pressure should not consume more than one drink per day, with the same number of alcohol-free days as men.  A drink is 5 ounces of wine.

All alcoholic drinks are not created equal. Beer is considered to be bad for you because it is believed to contain nitrosamines, which are activated in your intestines.  Wine is thought to provide healthier benefits because wine contains phytochemicals, which include antioxidants and flavonoids.  Red wine has shown to have the most positive effects of any alcohol.