(WLS) - Two new studies suggest that drinking alcohol can help ward off two diseases that affect millions of women: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. But the research is among several studies that paint a confusing picture of how alcohol affects women's health. Doctors say the key, as always, is moderation. One of the studies investigated alcohol consumption and its effect on rheumatoid arthritis in more than 34,000 Swedish women between the ages of 54 and 89. The researchers had contacted the women in 1987 and 1997, surveying them about their alcohol use. Then they started keeping close tabs on the women, scouring Swedish national registries for those who were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between 2003 and 2009.