Man drinking pint of beer. Photo: Sally Anscombe (Getty).
For years, we’ve been programmed to believe that the more you drink, the closer you get to kicking the bucket and floating up to that big brewery in the sky. This kind of narrative has motivated people to consume less and focus their energies elsewhere, like exercise or some other form of stress relief. As it turns out, however, you might not want to cut back on those fresh pours of hoppy goodness just yet.
At a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a study was presented that suggested drinking alcohol can lead to a longer life. Inexplicably, researchers determined drinking more of the good stuff is linked to living out more of your years. So pour your favorite beer and lengthen that lifespan.
According to Claudia Kawas, neurologist at the University of California, Irvine, drinking two glasses of beer a day is linked to a reduced risk of dying prematurely by a whopping 18 percent. The same reduction applies if you replace beer with wine.
For the last 15 years, Kawas and her team have been studying the habits of those who live into their 90s. They asked over 1,700 subjects about what they ate, their day-to-day activities and overall health. Turns out a lot of people between the ages of 90 and 99 are down with having cold ones with the boys.
“I have no explanation for it,” Kawas said, adding, “but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity.”
It’s great to hear this kind of thing if you’re into beer. You can add this to the list of good news related to beer, including the discovery that if we ever colonize Mars, we can likely brew it there. Fortunately, if this latest study proves correct, we might even live long enough to see that happen.
h/t Newsweek
