Drinking a small amount of alcohol every day could be the key to reaching the age of 90, according to a new medical study.
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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The 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.
-
October 1 editorial cartoonsCartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include Pete Hegseth's warrior ethos, taxes in a shutdown, and the battle of Portland
-
‘Friendflation’: the increasing cost of maintaining a social lifeUnder the Radar Cost-of-living squeeze has left some feeling priced out of social events and struggling to keep up friendships
-
What’s behind Europe’s sharp drop in illegal migration?Today's Big Question Fall in migrant crossings won’t head off tougher immigration clampdowns
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
