Drinkers outlive non-drinkers: study
Finally, some news we can raise a glass to: being sober is not just boring; it’s dangerous. According to the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, heavy and moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. Researchers found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest among alcohol abstainers, second highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers (those who consume one to three drinks per day).
The revelation doesn’t come as much of a surprise to Time magazine, though, which points out that abstainers usually come from a lower socio-economic bracket (avoiding booze for cost reasons) and generally have more stresses in their lives. Not only that, but the general lameness of the straight-edge set probably means they have fewer family members and friends to a) keep them happy and b) help them detect health problems. Conversely, drinkers have a social edge and can enjoy the well-known health benefits of drinks like red wine. Of course, alcohol brings about its own set of woes, which is probably why the heavy drinkers don’t fare quite as well as the moderate ones.
In other news, fitness and boozing have been melded into one drink. If we weren’t nursing such a hangover, we’d say that alcohol just might be the key to immortality.
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