We’ve always believed that the key to living a long life is eating well, exercising regularly and enjoying things like alcohol and fast food in moderation. However, a new study conducted by researchers at the Masstricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands has found that having one alcoholic beverage per day could be the key to living longer.
The study found that while binge drinkers statistically die earlier, those who enjoy one standard drink per day are 40% more likely to live until their 90th birthdays than those who never, or rarely, drink alcohol.
The study also found that women are more likely to live longer if they drink wine, while men seem to benefits from drinking whiskey, brandy or gin. It seems that alcohol in moderation is better for a long and full life than no booze at all.
To discover these findings, the team analysed 5000 men and women born between 1914 and 1918, and asked them about their drinking habits when they reached their sixties and seventies, then followed the lives of those who reached their 90th birthday. 34% of women and 16% of men survived to 90, and when researchers compared daily drinkers with abstainers, they found men and women drinking 5g to 10g of alcohol per day were 40% more likely to see 90.
However, researchers warned that alcohol can interfere with many medications, and particular types of alcohol, and the consumption of alcohol, can increase the risk of other health issues. So, while the study sounds like good news, it seems this particular revelation requires further investigation!
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