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Older Women Should Drink Every Day, Says Science
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 7, 2011
Modified Sep 7, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 7, 2011
Modified Sep 7, 2011
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Good news for women who don't entirely destroy their livers in their early 20s—a drink a day can keep the doctor away for ladies moving into old age, according to a new study. Which is great news for the grandmas in Boca who enjoy a little nightcap...every night.
A study of 14,000 middle-aged women found that those who drank five to fifteen grams of alcohol per day (that's about one drink—of anything, not just magical healthy booze like wine) will likely age "successfully," free from cancer or heart disease in their 70s. And women who drink every day, or close to it, have almost double the chance of being old and healthy as women who don't drink at all.
Experts, who've previously terrified us by saying that alcohol might cause cancer, aren't sure exactly sure what to make of all this. "If you are physically active, if you have a healthy body weight at midlife, you can have much better odds of achieving successful aging," said Qi Sun, M.D, the lead author of the study. "You don't have to use moderate alcohol consumption as a way to help achieve healthy aging." Sure, you don't have to, but maybe you should start looking into this drink a day thing now—better safe than sorry.
Tagged
aging
alcohol
food science
food study
older women
Jamie Feldmar
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