The science is settled. It’s more persuasive than global warming. It turns out that our parents and grandparents were right: a nightcap or a cocktail after arriving home from work is good for you.

“The healthiest people do include moderate drinking in their lifestyle,” says Eric Rimm, Sc.D., associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. You can reap alcohol’s health benefits within weeks, and the gains accumulate over time. (Stick to one drink a day, and fewer than seven a week.)

It turns out that moderate alcohol consumption raises HDL (good cholesterol) and makes blood platelets less sticky, lessening chances of blood clots and strokes. It also helps your pancreas regulate insulin levels and may dampen inflammation and suppress the immune response that can lead to painful rheumatoid arthritis.