But medical experts on the condition have cautioned that drinking too much alcohol increased the likelihood of getting many other health problems such as heart and liver disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes stiff and swollen joints and some 400,000 people in the UK alone suffer from the painful condition.
Swedish researcher Dr Henrik Kallberg also pointed out the most important conclusion of the study was that smoking was a very high risk factor for causing rheumatoid arthritis.
And Professor Robert Moots, from the Arthritis Research Campaign, said it was possible that moderate alcohol intake may provide some protection against arthritis developing but he added that the results of the research were not conclusive.
