Medical professionals, scientists and researchers have been warning us for years about the adverse effects of excessive alcohol consumption on both our physical and mental health. However there is now mounting evidence that very low levels of alcohol consumption may also be associated with poor mental health and symptoms of depression.

A new study utilized data culled from the work of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT Study), which was conducted in Norway. This consists of information about the drinking habits of over 38,000 people. By examining the data researchers were able to conclude that those individuals who reported a very low alcohol consumption rate, or who abstained altogether, were actually more likely to report and display symptoms of depression than those who presented themselves as moderate alcohol drinkers.

Persons who reported that they avoided alcohol altogether displayed the highest rate of depression symptoms. Even when researchers took into account factors such as age, social standing and physical health problems they were not able to discount the effects of the drinking habits.

The HUNT study also provided researchers with access to ten years worth of data about study participants. When they evaluated this additional data they found that fourteen percent of the people now labeling themselves as teetotalers had once been heavy drinkers.

All of this led the researchers to surmise that in those societies where the consumption of alcohol on a regular basis is considered the norm those who are teetotal may experience a certain level of social marginalization, leading to the development of depression and other mental health conditions.

The authors do not however want their findings to be seen as a reason to drink alcohol, or as an endorsement of the practice. Current general medical guidelines still recommend that men limit their alcohol consumption to three or four units per day and two to three units in women, who are physically more susceptible to the effects of alcohol.

However this is not the only recent study that has suggested that sensible and moderate consumption of alcohol may be beneficial to certain aspects of health. A 2007 University of Buffalo study found that moderate alcohol consumption by certain women lowered the risk of heart attack while another, conducted by UCLA researchers found that moderate drinking in those over 60 may stave off the development of physical disabilities such as reduced motor function and certain mobility disorders that interfere with daily activity.