Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D., is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Email questions to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.

QUESTION: It’s now being reported that there’s no amount of alcohol consumption that’s good for you.

I thought it was good for the heart to have one or two glasses of wine a day. What’s the story?

— Tyler, K., New Orleans, La.

ANSWER: For years, doctors have said one alcoholic drink for women and one or two for men is acceptable daily because alcohol has cardiovascular benefits, even though it also increases the risk of cancer.

But new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found drinking that amount may increase a person’s risk of premature death by 20 percent.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 400,000 people and found even when folks had slight improvements in cardiovascular health, their risk of other health-related problems, such as cancer, outweighed the benefits. That study came on the heels of research published in The Lancet that reviewed data from more than 700 studies and concluded no amount of alcohol is good for you.

Q: My husband was diagnosed with gallstones, and he’s taking the medication ursodiol. They say it’s made from polar bear urine.

Is that true, and how does it work?

— Sandy H., Delray Beach, Fla.

A: Well, yes, it is made from bear urine, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Urso (the brand name) comes from the Latin word “ursus,” meaning “bear,” but most ursodiol (the generic name for ursodeoxycholic acid) is synthetically derived in the lab.

It’s commonly used to prevent and treat gallstones (it helps dissolve them) and other gallbladder problems. It’s also used for people undergoing bariatric surgery, because rapid weight loss can trigger gallstone formation. And people with the autoimmune disease primary biliary cholangitis (previously called primary biliary cirrhosis, or PBC) often take it to help protect their bile ducts and keep lousy LDL cholesterol in check.

Bear urine has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to treat liver problems. The most common source of ursodiol in the Far East is the Asiatic black bear. The brown bear also is a source. In fact, all bears (except the giant panda), have ursodeoxycholic acid in their urine. Today, throughout China, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea and Myanmar, there are bear farms — it was the only way to stop them from being hunted into extinction — where bears are held in captivity and their bile collected.