What’s one of the secrets to longevity? Drinking more beer, apparently. This news comes from a presentation given at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The presented findings revealed that drinking two glasses of either beer or wine reduced the risk of dying young by 20 percent. Those above the age of ninety were 18 percent less likely to die early. “I have no explanation for it,” study leader and University of California Professor Claudia Kawas said. “But I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity.”
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Worried about getting a beer belly? No problem. The study also found that carrying a few extra pounds further reduced the risk of an early death by 3 percent. In fact, the study showed that it’s best to gain 5 to 10 pounds per decade. This is especially true as an individual reaches the age of 60 and 70. Underweight persons at an advanced age showed a 50 percent increase in mortality.
The research also found drinking 2 cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of a premature death by ten percent. And that a daily routine that included 15 minutes of brisk exercise reduced such risk by another 11 percent.
The researchers also reported that spending 2 hours each day engaged in hobbies cut the chances of an early death by 21 percent. And those activities are very broad and include gardening, board games, crafts, etc.
The study tracked 14,000 volunteers aged between 55 and 100 for a period of up to 37 years. And some of those participants are still being monitored.
“People should try to incorporate as many of these habits into their day to give themselves the best chance of living to a ripe age,” Kawas added. “But adopting this healthy lifestyle does not guarantee that these extra years will be healthy ones. Our data shows none of these lifestyle factors make any difference to the likelihood you will develop dementia. We are still trying to find them.”
And so while drinking beer may not improve your aging mental faculties, it does improve the likelihood that you reach old age in the first place. Drink up!
