A nascent research has revealed that consuming alcohol in moderate amounts retards the advancement of arthritis.

The research, which was conducted on animals, has revealed that alcohol hampers the progress of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is believed that alcohol is helpful in reducing inflammation of the joints.

However, on the other hand, excessive consumption of alcohol does the exact opposite. It, in fact, promotes inflammation.

In the past it is only conjectured that moderate amounts of alcohol mitigates the development of Rheumatoid arthritis. To substantiate this theory, researchers observed 2,908 Swiss adults who were registered on a national database of patients afflicted with arthritis.

All these patients had undergone at least two sets of X-rays of their hands and feet. They were observed for an average of four years.

It was found that both people who consumed alcohol occasionally and those who drank once per day had reduced joint damage progression with time as compared to non drinkers.

It was found that the habit of drinking continued to be associated with RA progression. While conducting the study researchers took into consideration other factors like age, RA medication use, smoking and so on.