The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7432 p763
23/30 December 2006

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Low daily alcohol intake may prevent rheumatoid arthritis

Mice ingesting low levels of alcohol on a daily basis have a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, researchers report.

They injected mice with collagen to induce arthritis then fed them with water or water containing 10 per cent ethanol. After several weeks, mice ingesting alcohol had slower onset of the arthritis and displayed less destructive symptoms as it progressed. The researchers say that the mice experienced no liver toxicity or other health problems, suggesting that safe levels of alcohol consumption may alleviate arthritis in humans (published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 December 2006).