The diastolic blood pressures of the group, which is the second number in a blood pressure reading, did not change during the reduced drinking periods. However, heart rates were lower when they cut alcohol intake, dropping by four beats per minute during the daytime and seven beats per minute at night, said Minami and his colleagues in the American Journal of Hypertension.
Minami says that according to studies, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption protects against heart disease. "So, for most people who consume no more than 30 mL of ethanol per day (about one to two drinks per day), no changes seem necessary," Minami said.