New study shows a glass or two of wine with dinner is good for your health

People who drank a few glasses of wine with dinner had good physical and mental health

A few glasses of wine with dinner has positive health benefits, study says (Corbis)

Having a glass of wine with your dinner could lead to better mental and physical health and higher self-esteem.

Contrary to UK Government advice suggesting keeping several days ‘alcohol free’, a new study from researchers in Finland, published in the Alcohol and Alcoholism journal, found several glasses of wine per day with an evening meal could actually be good for you.

Researchers from the universities of Helsinki and Tampere studied the drinking habits of almost 2,600 people between 18 and 69, and found that 12 per cent of people who had a glass of wine or two with dinner were the most likely to have good physical and mental health, and rate their self-esteem as ‘high’.

In fact, the research suggested those who drank wine with their dinner every night were less likely to binge drink and “should not be considered at risk” of doing so, the Daily Mail reported.

However, the ‘dinner table effect’ meant those who drank a few glasses of wine a day away from the dinner table did not fare as well health-wise, while those who mixed their drinks at the dinner table were more likely to binge drink.

Current recommended guidelines in the UK are no more than 14 units of alcohol per week for both men and women – after changes to the guidelines saw men’s recommended units lowered from 21.

However, those drinking two glasses of wine per day, as those with good health and high self-esteem did in the drinking study, would be consuming more than 22 units per week – far above the recommended guidelines.