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May 20, 2010

Wine lovers rejoice. A study out of France has found that people who drink up to a half a bottle of wine a day are healthier than people who abstain from drinking, the Daily Mail reported.

Researchers from the Public Assistance Hospitals in Paris looked at nearly 150,000 people and concluded those who enjoyed low or moderate intake of alcohol tended to exercise more, have higher social status and suffer from less stress compared to people who never touched a drop or drank to excess.

The volunteers included more than 97,000 men and 52,000 women. Researchers split them up into five groups that consisted of no alcohol consumption, low alcohol consumption, moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers and former drinkers.

The results showed those who drank moderately were more likely to have lower cardiovascular disease risk, heart rate, stress, depression and body mass index (BMI), according to the report.

"Importantly, the findings showed moderate alcohol consumption is a powerful general indicator of optimal social status, and this could be a key reason for improved health in these subjects," study author, Dr. Boris Hansel said.

Moderate drinkers also scored higher on health measures such as respiratory function and physical activity.