On Jun 5, 2:21*pm, "PG" > wrote:
>
>
> Still, in the light of this new research, I shall definitely be boosting my
> Burgundy intake ;-)
>
Even if you are sceptical of this because of the mouse angle (I must
say that I've been feeling much more mouse-like than before reading
the article), there are other health reasons for choking down more of
that dreadful red wine - arthritis for one. This is from the same
edition of the Telegraph (OK they've got some puritan in at the end
for 'balance' but you get the drift):

"
Five alcoholic drinks a week 'halves risk of arthritis'
By Kate Devlin
Last Updated: 1:36PM BST 05/06/2008
Drinking five or more alcoholic drinks a week can halve the risk of
developing rheumatoid arthritis, a new study shows.

Teetotallers are the most likely to develop the crippling joint
disease, which affects more than 400,000 people in Britain, scientists
found.

The risk of the disease decreases the more people drink, according to
the findings, published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic
Diseases.

Researchers who led the study believe alcohol could protect against
the condition by reducing inflammation within the body, in a similar
way to how red wine helps protect the heart.

Scientists from the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden, looked
at the results of two major studies involving more than 2,750 people
in Scandinavia, which analysed environmental and genetic risk factors
for rheumatoid arthritis.

They found the more alcohol people regularly drank, the less likely
they were to develop the disease.

Those who drank more than 5 alcoholic drinks every week cut their
chances of developing the condition by between 40 and 50 per cent.

The effect was the same for both men and women.

Teetotallers had a slightly raised chance of developing the disease,
while low drinkers, those whose intake was between one and five drinks
a week, had an average risk.

Previous research has suggested that alcohol can protect against the
severity of rheumatoid arthritis, which can leave patients crippled
and in constant pain.

The latest study found smoking increased the risk in those with a
genetic susceptibility to the disease.

Henrik Kallberg, who led the research, writes that the findings point
to the possibility that alcohol "may protect against" rheumatoid
arthritis.

Ailsa Bosworth, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis
Society, said: "This study is important because it indicates one of
the environmental factors that can cause rheumatoid arthritis in
people who are genetically susceptible to the condition.

"The more we can learn about what causes rheumatoid arthritis and what
we can do to lessen our chances of developing it, the better."

However, Professor Robert Moots, from the Arthritis Research Campaign,
warned against drawing too many conclusions from the findings.

He said: "There is no doubt that drinking too much is very bad for our
health in many ways and these risks by far outweigh any potential
benefit for reducing the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, which this
study points to, without being conclusive.

"We must also remember that drinking alcohol in excess can be
especially dangerous in patients taking some anti-rheumatoid drugs
that may cause liver damage."

However, he added: "Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may have a
protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis, in ways that we don't
yet understand - possibly comparable to effects of drinking moderate
amounts of red wine on cardiovascular disease."

Unlike osteoarthritis which tends to affect older people, rheumatoid
arthritis can strike at any age.

The disease is sparked by the immune system, which starts attacking
the joints causing inflammation and swelling.

An estimated 4,000 patients in Britain are seriously affected by the
disease, for which there is no known cure.
"