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Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits

Possible health benefits of moderate alcohol use

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits, such as:

  • Reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease
  • Possibly reduce your risk of ischemic stroke (when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow)
  • Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Even so, the evidence about the health benefits of alcohol isn't certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks.

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