New Study Shows Alcohol May Be Better For Longevity Than Exercise

New research led by University of California neurologist, Claudia Kawas, shows that booze may play a larger role in longevity than previously thought.

The study – which examined 1,700 people over the age of 90 – began in 2003 with the intention of exploring the “impacts of daily habits on longevity.”

Results show that those who drank “two glasses of wine or beer a day were 18 percent less likely to experience a premature death,” reported the Independent. In comparison, participants who exercised for 15-45 minutes per day saw an 11 percent decrease.

Kawas, the lead researcher on the study, said she has no explanation for this – but she does believe moderate drinking can increase chances at a longer life.

Researchers also found that weight, coffee consumption, and daily hobbies improve longevity, too.

Odds of an early death decreased by 3 percent for those who were slightly overweight (not obese). “Being skinny” when older, noted Kawas, is far risker than being thin as a younger adult.

Additionally, the study found, “subjects who kept busy with a daily hobby two hours a day were 21 percent less likely to die early, while those who drank two cups of coffee a day cut that risk by 10 percent,” reports the article.