A new study has just found that drinking coffee and alcohol could be the key to living longer.
The study was conducted by researchers at the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, who concluded that drinking coffee and alcohol in moderation could lower the risk of premature death. The study has been ongoing since 2003, and it involves following 1,600 people in their 90s to determine which habits of theirs might contribute to their longevity.
The study found that those who were slightly overweight in their 70s thrived in their 90s.
The researchers also concluded that drinking two servings of alcohol each day decreases your chance of premature death by 18%. The researchers aren’t sure why alcohol and coffee can hep people live longer.
“I have no explanation for it,” said Dr. Claudia Kawas, one of the lead researchers on the study, “but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity.”
In addition, researchers found that drinking two cups of coffee a day decreased the chance of premature death by 10%. However, experts were quick to warn people against mixing coffee and alcohol because caffeine can cover up the depressant properties of alcohol, so mixing the two can lead to over-drinking.
The researchers also found that exercise is very important to longevity, as exercising 15 to 45 minutes daily reduced chances of premature death by 11%.
In the end, moderation seems to be key in helping people live longer. If you drink coffee or alcohol, there’s a good chance according to this study that you’ll live a little longer. Cheers!