Japanese scientists have claimed that going to a pub five nights a week can actually improve one`s health, but they also caution that it will only work if we limit ourselves to just two pints of beer or similar units of wine each time.
The secret, they claim, is to drink regularly but in moderation rather than drinking only occasionally or not drinking at all.
"Alcohol remains a major cause of liver disease," said the report by the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research, "but it is excessive alcohol that does the damage."
Frequent but moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the chances of developing a fatty liver – the cause of many diseases – by up to 60 per cent.
It was found that moderate drinkers had the lowest prevalence of fatty liver disease but further tests revealed this was related more too how often they drank rather than how much.
Those who consumed around three or four alcoholic drinks spread over 21 days in a month had the lowest risk of all.
"Our observations suggest alcohol consumption plays a protective role against fatty liver in men, and consistent alcohol consumption may contribute to this favourable effect," quoted the report as saying.
Obesity was a much greater factor than alcohol in developing a fatty liver, the report warned.
"Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of cirrhosis and other serious types of liver disease," it said.
"On the other hand, the most common liver disease in many populations, fatty liver disease, is associated primarily with obesity and other features of the metabolic syndrome."
"Moderate alcohol intake may not only increase the risk but may actually decrease the risk of this common disease," it stated.
ANI