Drinking two beers a day ‘slashes your risk of dying young by a fifth’
Two beers a day and a few excess pounds are the secret to living longer, scientists say
TWO beers a day and a few excess pounds are the secret to living longer, scientists say.
The glasses of beer, or wine, cut the risk of dying young by a fifth.
And carrying a few excess pounds in later life makes an early death 3 per cent less likely.
A daily routine that includes two cups of coffee daily and 15 minutes of exercise also cut premature deaths by 10 and 11 per cent respectively.
American researchers say even moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk, will do.
These activities include gardening, reading, board games, and crafts.
The boffins analysed data on 14,000 people aged 55 to 100 to find the secrets to a long life.
They have tracked the volunteers for up to 37 years, with some still being monitored.
Study leader Professor Claudia Kawas warned a long life was not necessarily disease free.
She said: “People should try to incorporate as many of these habits into their day to give themselves the best chance of living to a ripe age.
“But adopting this healthy lifestyle does not guarantee that these extra years will be healthy ones.
“Our data shows none of these lifestyle factors make any difference to the likelihood you will develop dementia - we are still trying to find them.”
Professor Kawas, from the University of California, added: “As you get to 60 or 70 physiologically it’s a good thing to gain weight.
“It is best to gain between five and 10 pounds per decade. Underweight people had a 50 per cent increase in mortality.
“It’s not bad to be skinny when you’re young but it’s very bad to be skinny when you’re old.”
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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