Wine or a few beers a day is recipe for long life, new study says

Want to know the secret to a long life? It's alcohol if you want to see your 90s, according to a new report.

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Researchers from the University of California recently conducted a study, presented at the America Association for the Advancement of Science, to determine the link between daily habits and life expectancy.

To do so, they examined about 1,700 nonagenarians, people ages 90 to 99. Data for the individuals was sourced from the 90+ Study, which was initiated in 2003 to explore the impacts of daily patterns on longevity. The subjects, who reported their lifestyle habits in their 60s and 70s, made it to their 90s and were followed to their death.

After analyzing the results, researchers found that those who drank two glasses of beer or wine a day were 18 percent less likely to die before reaching their 90s, the Independent reported. Those who exercised 15 to 45 minutes daily were just 11 percent less likely to die before their 90s.

"I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity," co-author Claudia Kawas said during the presentation.

They also discovered that weight gain increased longevity. Those who were slightly overweight — not obese — had a 3 percent reduced chance of dying before their 90s.

“It’s not bad to be skinny when you’re young but it’s very bad to be skinny when you’re old,” Kawas noted.

Furthermore, subjects that practiced a daily hobby for two hours were 21 percent less likely to die before their 90s, and those who drank two cups of coffee daily were 10 percent less likely.

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Scientists now hope to continue their investigations to confirm their findings and consider how genetics may also play a role in longevity.

Cox Media Group