Can Alcohol Lead to Successful Aging in Women?
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Regular to moderate consumption of alcohol may be related to a modest increase in overall health among middle-aged white women, according to a study published by the journal Plos Medicine.
According to the study, 10 percent of mostly white women in the study who drank alcohol lightly to moderately at midlife (average age 58 years) were free of 11 major chronic diseases, had no major cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or mental health limitations.
Regular to moderate portions used in the study were a 12 ounce can of beer, a 4 ounce glass for wine, and one drink or shot for liquor.
"These findings provide support for the 2010 US Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines, which state that consumption of up to one alcoholic drink per day for women and up to two alcoholic drinks per day for men may provide health benefits," researchers at Harvard who lead the study said.
“They also suggest that drinking alcohol regularly in moderation rather than occasional heavy drinking may be associated with a greater likelihood of successful aging," the researchers added.
The findings cannot be applied to men or to ethnic groups other than white women, the researchers noted.
Despite the positive results in this observation study, the lead author of the research said women who don't drink currently shouldn't start doing it to get benefits.
"If you are physically active, if you have a healthy body weight at midlife, you can have much better odds of achieving successful aging," Doctor Qi Sun, the lead author of the study told CNN. "You don't have to use moderate alcohol consumption as a way to help achieve healthy aging."