Drink more wine, live longer
26 May 2009, 12:20
Men who drink up to half a glass of wine a day may live five years longer than non-drinkers, the Wine-of-the-Month Club said on Tuesday.
Men who consumed light quantities of any type of alcohol daily added two-and-a-half years to their life expectancy, said Colin Collard, chairman of Wine-of-the-Month Club.
He was referring to research published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Drinkers were also at a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease and other ailments associated with poor circulation.
"There is a lot of research pointing to the fact that a glass or two of wine a day is good for a person's health, and this research just adds to this standpoint," Collard said in a statement.
The study was conducted at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
It looked at the lifestyles and alcohol consumption of 1 373 men born between 1900 and 1920, examining their health regularly between 1960 and 2000.
During this period 1 130 of the men died from heart disease.
When researchers compared the men's deaths and their drinking habits, it found that light to moderate drinking of any alcoholic beverage added about two-and-a-half years to the life-spans of drinkers.
It also found that men who drank only wine, up to about half a bottle a day, lived around two-and-a-half years longer than those who drank beer or spirits.
Compared to teetotallers, they lived five years longer.
"Of course this doesn't mean you should run out and buy a bottle of wine or take up drinking if you are a teetotaller.
"You should stick to your regular lifestyle. It's just nice to know that enjoying a glass or two of your favourite tipple can actually have a benefit," Collard said. - Sapa
Men who consumed light quantities of any type of alcohol daily added two-and-a-half years to their life expectancy, said Colin Collard, chairman of Wine-of-the-Month Club.
He was referring to research published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Drinkers were also at a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease and other ailments associated with poor circulation.
"There is a lot of research pointing to the fact that a glass or two of wine a day is good for a person's health, and this research just adds to this standpoint," Collard said in a statement.
The study was conducted at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
It looked at the lifestyles and alcohol consumption of 1 373 men born between 1900 and 1920, examining their health regularly between 1960 and 2000.
During this period 1 130 of the men died from heart disease.
When researchers compared the men's deaths and their drinking habits, it found that light to moderate drinking of any alcoholic beverage added about two-and-a-half years to the life-spans of drinkers.
It also found that men who drank only wine, up to about half a bottle a day, lived around two-and-a-half years longer than those who drank beer or spirits.
Compared to teetotallers, they lived five years longer.
"Of course this doesn't mean you should run out and buy a bottle of wine or take up drinking if you are a teetotaller.
"You should stick to your regular lifestyle. It's just nice to know that enjoying a glass or two of your favourite tipple can actually have a benefit," Collard said. - Sapa
Pretoria
