How does alcohol help the heart?

Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It's thought that alcohol:

• Raises HDL (healthy) cholesterol
• Reduces the formation of blood clots
• Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of LDL (harmful) cholesterol
• May improve the function of the layer of cells that line your blood vessels (endothelium)