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Alcohol

IS the New Year resolution already losing its resolve? Is the pain you felt after too much festive drinking beginning to fade and the idea of having a drink seem attractive again?

Then read on. If you pick your poison carefully it could actually be doing you some good - in moderation.

Beer - may be high in calories (almost 200 calories a pint) but it is almost fat-free and it contains potassium, magnesium and B- vitamins. But it is an old wives tale that dark stout ale is packed with iron - half a pint contains only 0.6mg, less than 4% of the recommended daily amount.

Beer does, however, contain a fair amount of folic acid which can lower homocysteine levels, high levels of which have been linked to coronary heart disease.

A recent study by researchers at University College, London, who talked to male beer drinkers in the Czech Republic, found that those with the lowest risk of having a heart attack drank a pint or two of beer each day - but no more. The protective effect was lost if they drank twice a day or consumed greater amounts.

Spirits - It is hard to find anything good at all to say about spirits and even adding a slice of lemon to your glass is not going to improve their health credit rating by much.

Whisky, gin, vodka and brandy are virtually devoid of any nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Their calorie content is negligible too, but only until you add the tonic or ginger ale when it soars.

The only slight health benefits are from whisky and brandy matured in wooden barrels which contain phenolics which increase the antioxidant levels in the blood.

Antioxidants are known to combat the free radical baddies which can zap our bodies and harm healthy cells.

Wine - So much has been said about the health benefits of red wine it should be available on prescription!

According to the experts a glass or two of red wine a day can help prevent cancers and heart disease, can protect against degenerative mental diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and can even improve your memory.

It contains high levels of phenolics (see page 3) but also of a chemical called Resveratrol, previously known to help in the fight against heart disease and cancer, but now thought to help combat mental illness.

Laboratory tests showed that it stimulated the effectiveness of an enzyme involved in nerve cell regeneration by up to seven times.

Resveratrol combats cancers by ''turning off'' a gene which otherwise protects cancer cells from destruction. The same research carried out at the University of North Carolina also showed that it inhibits another gene involved in inflammation and in the development of blocked arteries.

How much?

Government guidelines say men should drink no more than 3 units a day and women 2-3. (A unit being half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine) Weekend bingeing, where you consume 20 odd units in one session, is not recommended. Apart from the inevitable hangover, consuming large amounts of alcohol in one go can lead to an increased risk of cancers of the digestive tract, heart and liver disease, malnutrition, mental health problems and, in women, osteoporosis.

Moderate drinking on the other hand raises the levels of ''good'' cholesterol in the blood and can protect against heart disease. It also makes people socially ''happier'', which may explain why they report better overall health.

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