Here's to your health. (updates).(Brief Article)

Women may be able to ward off diabetes by having several alcoholic drinks each day.

Researchers found that women on a controlled diet who were given specially prepared alcoholic drinks had better control of their insulin levels than women given similar drinks that did not contain alcohol. Insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar, is in short supply in diabetics.

The drinks were made with orange juice and ethanol, a pure form of alcohol. The team believes that any type of alcohol may work but stressed that the finding needed further testing.

A research team from the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center--part of the US Department of Agriculture--in Beltsville, Maryland, carried out tests on 63 healthy women. The study appears in the May 15, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the United States alone, there are almost 16 million people with diabetes, 95 percent of whom have Type 2, or adult onset, diabetes.

This disorder occurs when the body either cannot produce enough insulin on its own, or the insulin it produces cannot be properly used to control blood sugar levels.

Realistically, it's unlikely that alcohol consumption alone will prevent Type 2 diabetes, a disorder that can be hereditary. Lifestyle factors such as exercise and healthy diets also are contributing factors.