Latest Research

This multi-national study of 38 countries investigated the health effects of alcohol consumption in 135,4440 individuals aged over 65 years. Alcohol was currently consumed by 47.5% of individuals, 26.5% were past consumers and 51% were abstainers who had never consumed alcohol. Past alcohol consumption was negatively associated with better health although this association changed after approximately age 85. Abstinence was associated with the poorest health until after approximately age 95, particularly in women. Furthermore, regular alcohol consumption was associated with the best health between ages 65 and 85, and regular alcohol consumers had similar health to abstainers after approximately age 95.

This US study shows that the adherence to a healthy, low risk lifestyle is associated with a longer life expectancy at age 50 free of major chronic diseases ̶ for men approximately 7.6 years and for women 10 years compared to individuals with no low-risk lifestyle factors. Middle-aged women who reported drinking up to 15 g of alcohol/day and men who consumed up to 30 g of alcohol/day were less likely to prematurely develop heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

This paper discusses the relationship between a healthy lifestyle score and the risk of type 2 diabetes in 11,000 participants, initially free of type 2 diabetes, who were followed up for 12 years. Adherence to more healthy lifestyle factors, which included regular moderate consumption, reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 46% compared with individuals who adhered to less factors

20-year study where moderate alcohol usage included in a diet saw a substantially lower mortality rate