Drink Regularly to Stay Healthy

More good news for drinkers. Turns out, that if you enjoy a cocktail or two at the end of a particularly hard day (or, you know, just any old day where you had to work or interact with people), you are likely helping yourself stay healthy. Contrary to earlier ideas that the less alcohol you imbibe, the better, a new study has found that a stiff drink does a body good.

Researchers at the American Society of Human Genetics were studying the effect smoking and alcohol use has on aging and came across some surprising findings. Turns out, that "moderate alcohol use—about one to two drinks per day—was correlated with the healthiest aging, while very low and high consumption were linked to accelerated aging." So there you have it. Keep your drinking to a moderate pace to keep yourself in tip-top shape. Not surprisingly, they found that "all levels of exposure to smoke were associated with significantly premature aging." So put down the cigarette and pour yourself a drink.

What is a serving?

  • One 12 oz-beer (5% alcohol)
  • One 5-oz glass wine (12% alcohol)
  • 1 ½ oz of 80-proof liquor (40% alcohol)

(Source: CDC)