Dutch researchers say they’ve found a silver lining in the fact that the percentage of men who reported drinking alcohol almost doubled from 1960 to 2000.

In looking at predictors of cardiac disease which was linked to half of the deaths reported in the study, they found that moderate alcohol consumption actually extended men’s lives.

The equivalent of a half-shot of a spirit, or six ounces of beer per day was enough to raise life expectancy by two years when compared to those who never drank.

Choosing red or white wine in the same amounts was even more beneficial, the scientists reported in the British Medical Journal, with men who chose that tack living on average five years longer than those who didn’t drink at all.

Those who find themselves reaching for the bottle again may still be able to improve their health prospects if they drink wine.

Drinking one or two glasses a day has been linked to decreased lung cancer risk in men by scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Department of Research, and minimizing the chance of some liver diseases according to UCSD researchers.