For some people, a heart-healthy diet may include drinking some alcohol, a researcher said.

A recent study found that non-drinkers who started having one or two drinks a day lowered their risk of cardiac disease without raising the risk of death.

Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina studied more than 7,600 people between 45 and 64 years old for more than 10 years. Those who started drinking during the study had a 38 percent lower chance of developing heart problems over four years than those who stayed away from the bottle.

Those who drank wine only saw the greatest reduction in risk, according to a news release.

Author Dr. Dana King said that while the benefit was clear, it must be weighed against other risks of drinking.