It is the kind of headline that stops you in your tracks.

Even accounting for the growing evidence that red wine offers some health benefits this might well have been a story from spoof news site The Daily Mash.

New research, not from the Mash's “Institute of Studies” but led by the University of Bonn in Germany found heavy drinkers - including those who drank two bottles of wine a day - were healthier and happier in later years than their teetotal and lower-drinking counterparts.

Happier is a bit easier to rationalise but healthier? 

Researchers questioned hundreds of people over the age of 60 who were undergoing routine surgery about their mood and quality of life and compared this with the amount of alcohol they knocked back.

One third of the study participants were consuming “potentially unhealthy” quantities of wine and included people who drank at least four nights a week or who regularly had the equivalent of two bottles of wine in a single day.

READ MORE: Ministers to consider alcohol price hike after review 

Scientists found that the heavy drinkers were  significantly less likely to be obese or overweight and were happier and more mobile than the comparator group.

They also reported better overall health and less pain.

The results were more marked among men who drank heavily and who scored “significantly higher” for overall health and wellbeing after surgery than teetotallers.

The Herald:

Vera Guttenthaler, the study’s author, went so far as to suggest that sinking more bottles of Merlot or Peroni might give older patients a better quality of life before and after elective surgery.

Media coverage of a study like that is undoubtedly going to a cause a fair bit of unease among the medical profession and health experts cautioned that it was observational and therefore could not determine cause and effect.

Dr Tony Rao, a consultant elderly psychiatrist at King’s College London suggested the heavy drinkers in the study may have been “generally healthier” and able to drink at those levels without harmful consequences. 

Moreover, socialising without the alcohol might well have provided the same boost to wellbeing. 

The health messaging around alcohol is becoming less straightforward amid growing evidence that some tipples might actually be good for us.

READ MORE: Alcoholics and drug addicts need our love says Darren McGarvey

Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, has said that he feels better about drinking red wine since he discovered it has “magic properties” that are beneficial for the heart.

The Herald:

He said studies had “consistently shown” that it is different to other types of alcohol.

This he said was largely due to polyphenols (which used to be known as antioxidants) which which are apparently like rocket fuel for gut microbes which in turn provides a boost for the immune system and heart and metabolism in general.

However, you wouldn’t have to search too hard to find hard evidence of the harms caused by drinking.

In 2018, the World Health Organisation published a study that concluded there was no safe level of alcohol.

It was found to be a major avoidable risk factor for diseases such as liver cirrhosis, some cancers and cardiovascular diseases, as well as several infectious diseases.

There were 1,190 alcohol-specific deaths in 2020 in Scotland, representing an increase of 17% (170 deaths) on 2019 (1,020 deaths). This is the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths registered since 2008.

READ MORE: Leading scientist 'feels better' about drinking red wine after learning of 'magic properties'

Research published this week has shown that levels of alcohol consumption considered safe in some countries are linked to the risk of developing heart failure.

The study focused on 744 adults above 40 years of age who were at risk of developing heart failure due to risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart abnormalities – but had no symptoms.

The Herald:

The researchers observed participants over a median of 5.4 years and used the Irish definition of one standard drink, which is 10 grams of alcohol. 

The participants were divided into four groups according to their weekly alcohol intake, i.e. zero, small, moderate, and high amounts of alcohol.  

The study found that levels of alcohol that are generally considered safe actually increase the risk of heart failure.

Moderate or high intake was linked with a 4.5 times higher risk of deteriorating heart health.

As doctors pointed out, those who took part in the German study - which found heavy drinkers were healthier than teetotallers - were all in hospital for routine surgery not treatment for life-threatening illness.

Most of us drink for the same reasons: to relax and have fun or to forget.

Now, in middle age I find that two (drinks) is the magic number. 

I don’t always enjoy the loss of the sharp focus of sobriety in social interactions and too much booze and silly arguments often go hand in hand.

Of course sometimes that blurring of the senses is a welcome break from life stress and I’m not prepared to give up the joy of a delicious, full bodied red or refreshing G&T.

I count myself  lucky that I am able to drink in moderation but I’m not sure anyone bar teetotallers can afford to be complacent in this regard. A  major life event could tip many of us into reliance.

Do I always stick to my two drinks rule? No, because, like the Icelandic singer Björk once said I think the odd blowout is good for the soul. I try to eat well, run three times a week and do my best to manage stress.

Big conversations and kitchen discos are enjoyed as drinks flow and if kept to an occasional indulgence, even the worst head-splitting hangover can be reconciled.