Alcohol May be Included in Special Diet for Women

As has been shared by a new research women who are moderate drinkers tend to gain less weight over time than teetotalers.

The risk of becoming overweight or obese falls as alcohol consumption rises, even when factors such as smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity are taken into account, the study found.

Women who consumed between 1.5 and 3 drinks daily had a 27 percent and 61 percent lower risk of becoming overweight or obese, respectively, than women who didn't drink at all, according to the study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

However, the researchers did not look at how the participants' drinking may have affected their lives besides weight gain. Alcohol use can lead to health problems and "psychosocial problems," they point out, and they caution that appropriate alcohol intake differs for each individual and depends on a range of factors.

Experts recommend that women drink no more than one alcoholic beverage a day, and that men limit themselves to two.

CNN News has contributed to the report.