For decades, alcohol has been the preventive drug of choice for many people, for better or for worse - after all, it offers some protection from heart attacks and may keep strokes, dementia and diabetes at bay.

And if alcohol happens to be a lot of fun, too, well isn't that a nice coincidence.

So when Kaiser Permanente researchers released a study last month showing that alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing breast cancer, a lot of women were thrown for a loop - whatever happened to a little drinking being good for you?