Hello!
One of the happiest bits of nutrition research to date has always been that moderate drinking prevents heart attacks. It was thought to be good for your heart in many of the same ways that exercise is good for your heart–by lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, decreasing inflammation, etc.
A recent study in the American Journal of Health Promotion (September 2009) found that moderate drinkers exercise more than non-drinkers, so THAT may be the reason for the connection between alcohol and heart health. Doh!
More research will uncover the truth, but remember that alcohol–whether good or bad for your heart–is always bad for weight loss. It increases your appetite, suppresses your metabolism, interferes with muscle recovery and about half of the calories turn directly to fat.
Besides, there are a bunch of weight-friendly things you can do for your heart: Laugh, volunteer, get a dog, meditate, do yoga, sleep more, drink tea and, of course, eat your fruits and veggies.
Sorry for the bad news!
Jill
Nutrition for POTS, MCAS, dysautonomia, autoimmunity and related conditions 