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"\n\tAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below\n\t\n\n\n\nYou might physically feel like complete a** the day after downing six too many mojitos, but drinking won't get you down mentally, according to new research out of Australia.Looking at over 3,000 old dudes, and focusing on how certain genetic mutations might play a role in how people metabolize alcohol, clinical neuroscientists from The University of Western Australia debunked the long-held myth that alcohol causes depression.\"Because of the observational nature of the association between alcohol and depression, and the risk of confounding and bias that comes with observational studies, it is difficult to be entirely certain that the relationship is causal,\" lead researcher Professor Osvaldo Almeida said. \"For example, people who drink too much may also smoke, have poor diets and other diseases that could explain the excess number of people with depression among heavy drinkers.\"But while booze may not give you a permanent sad face, it's obviously still not good for you, warns nutritionist JJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet.\"Alcohol can do plenty of other damage, including putting fat burning on the backburner,\" she says. \"Your liver perceives alcohol as a toxic substance, since it can potentially be fatal if you overdo it. So everything else \u2014 including fat metabolism \u2014 takes a backseat as your liver metabolizes that alcohol. Sugary alcohol drinks can also wreak havoc on your blood sugar balance, leading to hunger, cravings, and weight gain.\"While Virgin doesn't recommend drinking from a health perspective, she advises being smart about your consumption by taking in two glasses of water for every cocktail and never drinking on an empty stomach. As for which drink to order, your best bets are indulging in a glass of pinot noir \u2014 which is full of anti-aging antioxidant resveratrol \u2014 or, oddly enough, taking a shot of tequila. Want more from Natasha? Follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.Photo: Getty"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/news/a15695/alcohol-and-depression-link/>