A new study associates moderate drinking with less weight gain among middle-aged women, the Los Angeles Times reported March 9.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who had one or two drinks daily gained less weight in mid-life than abstainers. Moderate drinkers were 30 percent less likely to be overweight or obese, researchers found.

The findings from the study of more than 19,000 women during a 12.9-year period may contradict the typical advice against drinking for those trying to lose weight. Researchers were uncertain why moderate drinking appeared to be associated with weight loss, although they noted that women burn more calories than men after drinking.

The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.