When it comes to colds, many people insist that a glass of brandy or whisky, with lemon juice, can provide an effective cure. However, studies so far had not been able to show that alcohol can kill germs in the bloodstream or stop a cold dead in its tracks. And while alcohol may provide temporary relief from symptoms, it can also prolong the cold by increasing dehydration.

Now two large studies have shown that while moderate drinking will not cure a cold, it can help keep infections at bay. The first study, conducted by Carnegie Mellon in 1993, looked at nearly 400 adults and found that resistance to colds increased with moderate alcohol consumption . In 2002 a second study in Spain followed the habits of 4,300 healthy adults, as well as their susceptibility to colds. The researchers found no relations between the incidence of colds and consumption of beer, spirits, Vitamin C, or zinc. However, drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, was linked to as much as a 60 percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold. Scientists suspect this may be related to the antioxidant properties in wine. Moderate red wine consumption has long been associated with a reduced risk for several major chronic diseases as well.

So what does this all mean? Alcohol may not be a "cure-all" cold remedy, but moderate consumption may reduce susceptibility to getting a cold, as well as lowering your risk of several major chronic illnesses.

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