Moms and wives across the country are probably less than thrilled about two recent health reports that contend moderate drinking and cursing may be good for your health.

Written by CNN Medical Associate Producer Caitlin Hagan, [BLEEP!] That hurts! highlights the results of research conducted by Dr. Richard Stephens and his team at UK’s Keele University. The study says “swearing actually has a pain-lessening effect.”

According to Hagan, Stephens asked study participants to “submerge one hand in nearly freezing water for as long as they could while repeating a curse word.”  Participants then submerged the same hand in the same freezing water, but were asked to repeat a descriptive word for a table, rather than the curse word of choice from the first go-around. He discovered that “when people were cursing, they kept their hand in the water for 40 more seconds than they could otherwise.”

Last month, HealthDay News published an article with results from another study claiming that moderate drinking might guard against Alzheimer’s. Moderate, in the case of the study, is defined as 1-2 drinks per day, which was associated with a nearly 40 percent drop in dementia risk (as compared with those who did not drink at all). Dr. Kaycee M. Sink, assistant professor of medicine at Wake Forest, states the results: “We found that for cognitively normal older adults, the lowest risk of dementia was for those who drank an average of one to two alcoholic drinks per day… However, for older adults who started the study with mild cognitive impairment, alcohol use was not protective.”

So while the title of this blog post may be a bit presumptuous (moms and wives, breathe a sigh of relief), it seems to prove Aristotle’s adage: “Everything in moderation; nothing to excess” – which goes for cursing, too. While it might help take the edge off the next time you stub your toe, it’s probably not necessary (nor healthy) to let an expletive fly when your boss is around or your young children are nearby. And, a glass of red wine with dinner may help preserve brain health, but 2 large shots of 80 proof vodka is probably not your best bet.

Be wise, and take care of your health in the best way possible. Experts’ opinions on cursing and alcohol consumption should not dramatically impact day to day living, but it’s interesting to note.

- Michelle Seitzer