New Delhi, March 15 -- Alcohol often gets a bad rap-and for good reason as it is linked to a laundry list of health risks, from liver disease and high blood pressure to cancer and accidental injuries. However, a new research suggests that drinking alcohol might have at least one surprising health perk: it could improve your cholesterol levels.

A groundbreaking study from Harvard University, published in JAMA Network Open, has uncovered that moderate alcohol consumption may actually boost "good" cholesterol (HDL) and lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL). However, before you reach for that celebratory drink, there is more to the story.

The research followed nearly 58,000 adults in Japan over the course of a year, analyzing their medical records ...