Mixed
Among men maintaining optimal levels of four healthy lifestyle behaviors (BMI <25, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, smoking abstinence, and high-quality diet), moderate alcohol consumption (5.0 to 29.9 g/d) is associated with a significantly lower risk of myocardial infarction compared to abstinence.
If you are a man who already maintains a healthy weight, exercises regularly, doesn't smoke, and eats a high-quality diet, drinking moderately (up to about 2 drinks per day) is associated with a lower risk of heart attack compared to not drinking at all. This suggests moderate drinking can complement a healthy lifestyle rather than contradict it, though absolute risk reduction is small in this low-risk group.
In this prospective analysis of men with favorable levels of 4 healthy lifestyle factors, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk for MI, with the lowest risk in men who drank 5 to 30 g/d (approximately one half to 2 drinks).
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort study (HPFS) with long follow-up (16 years), rigorous adjustment for multiple confounders, and validation of alcohol intake, though observational design prevents definitive causal proof.
Source
Alcohol Consumption and Risk for Coronary Heart Disease in Men With Healthy Lifestyles
Kenneth J. Mukamal et al. · Archives of Internal Medicine · 2006
DOI 10.1001/archinte.166.19.2145
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