According to researchers from Italy, moderate drinking may lengthen your life, while too much may shorten it. The result was based on 34 large studies involving more than 1 million people and 94,000 deaths.

It showed that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, up to 3 or 4 drinks per day in men and 2 drinks per day in women, reduces the risk of death from any cause by roughly 18 percent.

But when consumption goes beyond these levels, things radically change, leading to early deaths. Women who consume more than two glasses of alcohol per day are at an increased risk of diseases of the liver and certain types of cancer.

The reason why women should drink lesser than men is that when men and women drink the same amount of alcohol, women experience higher blood alcohol levels in their bodies than men.

The study calls for heavy drinkers to cut their consumption, in order to remain healthy and live longer. The study also highlights the manner in which alcohol is to be consumed. You shoud take little amounts, preferably during meals, and the rest of the day must be absolutely alcohol-free.