HEALTH research, fads, fashions and guidance can be extremely confusing. One minute “experts” and “researchers” are telling us to cut out fat and dairy products and then others tell us butter is better for us than certain spreads.

We have been told that a couple of glasses of red wine a week can be good for the heart and now researchers in the US claim antioxidants in Guinness can help reduce blood clots and the risk of heart attacks.

But before we all rush out and stock up on bottles of cabernet sauvignon (said to have the highest levels of polyphenols which help protect the body against damage from free radicals) or cans of the black stuff, it is worth remembering there is plenty of evidence that drinking too much can lead to a whole host of health problems including heart and liver damage, high blood pressure, strokes and some cancers.

But popping out and having a social drink with friends at the local pub once or twice a week might be just the tonic some people need for their health and general wellbeing, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Oxford have been looking into whether having a drink plays a role in improving social cohesion - people working together for the benefit of all – given its long association with human activities.

Archaeological evidence shows fermented beverages were being consumed as many as 7,000 years ago. And while many of us assume this has been for the physical pleasure it brings and the relaxing effect, it is now clear it plays an important role in a social context by reducing social inhibitions and triggering the endorphin system, which gives people a feel good factor.

According to the Oxford research report, there is now a widespread view among archaeologists that cereal cultivation was first started in order to brew beer rather than to provide food and the Oxford researchers suggest the consumption of alcohol, once it had been discovered, came to be adopted as part of the complex set of activities and rituals associated with bonding large social communities.

Combining data from three separate studies - a questionnaire-based study of pub clientele, observing conversational behaviour in pubs, and a national survey by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) – the researchers looked at whether the frequency of alcohol consumption or the type of venue affected people’s social experiences and wellbeing.

They found that people who have a ‘local’ they visit regularly tend to feel more socially engaged and contented, and are more likely to trust other members of their community. They also observed that those without a local pub had significantly smaller social networks and felt less engaged with, and trusting of, their local communities.

The study also showed that those who drank at local pubs tended to socialise in smaller groups, which encouraged whole-group conversation, while those drinking in city-centre bars tended to be in much larger groups, and participated much less in group conversation.

Professor Robin Dunbar of the University of Oxford’s Experimental Psychology department, said: "This study showed that frequenting a local pub can directly affect people’s social network size and how engaged they are with their local community, which in turn can affect how satisfied they feel in life.

"Our social networks provide us with the single most important buffer against mental and physical illness. While pubs traditionally have a role as a place for community socialising, alcohol’s role appears to be in triggering the endorphin system, which promotes social bonding.

“Like other complex bonding systems such as dancing, singing and storytelling, it has often been adopted by large social communities as a ritual associated with bonding."

Colin Valentine, CAMRA’s national chairman, said: “Personal wellbeing and happiness have a massive impact not only on individual lives, but on communities as a whole. It will be of no surprise to CAMRA members that pubs play such a pivotal role in a person’s wellbeing, but it is fantastic news to hear that this wisdom has now been confirmed by research.

"Pubs play a unique role in offering a social environment to enjoy a drink with friends in a responsible, supervised community setting. For this reason, we all need to do what we can to ensure that everyone has a ‘local’ near to where they live or work - the first step to which is strengthening planning protection for pubs to stem the 21 pubs closing across this country each week.”

The full paper, ‘Functional benefits of (modest) alcohol consumption’, can be read in the journal Adaptive Human Behaviour and Physiology: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-016-0058-4.

Bill Ottaway, spokesman for the Worcester CAMRA branch, said there are many people who feel lonely and isolated, which in turn affects their general wellbeing.

“For those people who are able to get out, one way of socialising is to visit a pub where they can make new acquaintances and see friendly faces as well as have a drink and relax,” he said.

“I have met many people in local pubs who went to the pub to avoid being sat at home alone all day, to see friendly faces and enjoy the banter. And I'm sure they felt the better for it.”

Councillor John Smith, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing said: "While this research raises some interesting points, it's not an invitation to drink unhealthily, illegally, or to excess. Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy gives priority to tacking the harm caused by drinking too much alcohol, wherever it is consumed.

"We have however worked tirelessly with licensees and the business community to make sure that pubs are safe places to drink. In general, it is easier to influence excessive drinking in a regulated environment such as a pub.

“It's also worth noting that local pubs can be a great place to meet up with friends and family, which can help to tackle loneliness and social isolation. This is also one of our priorities."