A glass or two of wine each day is believed to promote heart health and now Dutch researchers say it may help prevent diabetes as well.
Reuters reports that researchers studied 35,000 adults between the ages of 20 and 70 for 10 years.

The study focused on type 2 diabetes, which is more common among people over the age of 40.

They found that individuals who consumed alcohol moderately and met at least three of four conditions of a healthy lifestyle, had 40 percent less chance of developing type 2 diabetes than those who abstained from alcohol completely.

Researchers defined moderate alcohol consumption as one glass per day for women and two glasses per day for men. The healthy lifestyle conditions included obesity prevention, adequate exercise, not smoking and eating a balanced diet.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with the disease, which prevents the body from producing enough insulin or causes cells to ignore insulin.

According to the Mayo Clinic, potential complications of diabetes include heart and blood vessel disease, nerve, kidney or eye damage, skin and mouth conditions, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and hearing problems.

Some studies have found that nutritional supplements containing chromium and cinnamon may benefit blood sugar control in diabetics.