Another heartening report.
But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that — for reasons that aren't entirely clear — abstaining from alcohol does tend to increase one's risk of dying, even when you exclude former problem drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. Moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation and sociabilityIn other words, pleasure is good for you. Enjoy irresponsibly.
1 comment:
My guess (and that's all it is) is that heavy drinkers--of whom I am one--privilege the kind of life which is likely to be lower in the stress factors which more moderate drinkers and abstainers incur. Drinking heavily takes time. It's an activity that occupied a fair portion of everyday, but this is normally done--for social drinkers anyway--in an atmosphere of leisurely refection, conversation, gossiping, telling jokes, and other social factors which I'm sure must influence one's longevity.
(P.S. It's 0923 here in my local Wetherspoons and four people here have already started on the beer).
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