Drinking alcohol key to living past 90, says study

Drinking a small amount of alcohol every day could be the key to reaching the age of 90, according to a new medical study. The research, led by University of California neurologist Claudia

Kawas, tracked 1,700 nonagenarians enrolled in the 90+ Study that began in 2003 to explore impacts of daily habits on longevity. Researchers discovered that subjects who drank two glasses of

beer or wine a day were 18% less likely to experience a premature death, The Independent reports. SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus

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Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. “I have no explanation for

it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,” Kawas said. Meanwhile, participants who exercised 15 to 45 minutes a day, cut the risk of premature death by 11%.

Furthermore, those who were slightly overweight, although not obese, were recorded as having a 3% reduced chance of an early death. Subjects who kept busy with a daily hobby two hours a day

were 21% less likely to die early, while those who drank two cups of coffee a day cut that risk by 10%. For some people, “living past the age of 90 and maintaining a healthier overall

wellbeing in old age could be related to their genetic makeup,” says The Indepedent. Scientists from the Northwestern University in Chicago have carried out a study exploring the memory of

people who are more than 80 years old. The study noted that the individuals classified as “superagers” had a greater concentration of Von Economo neurons in their brains. These neurons are

associated with social behaviour and increased memory levels. Some of the superagers even had more Von Economo neurons in their brains than people in their 20s. Further study is “needed to

determine how habits impact longevity beyond people’s genetic makeups,” says New York Daily News. Explore More Alcohol