Drinking coffee and alcohol might be the ticket to a long life, according to a new study by the University of California-Irvine.
From the "The 90+ Study" that started in 2003, scientists monitored and examined the oldest age group, which comprised of people who are 90 years old and above, to determine the food, activities, or lifestyle associated with long life. About 1,600 people were involved in the study.
The Secret To Long Life
The scientists found that those who consumed moderate amounts of coffee and alcohol lived until their 90th birthday and beyond. Those who drank two glasses of beer or wine every day decreased their chances of dying early by 18 percent compared to those who abstained. For coffee drinkers, chances of premature death decreased by 10 percent after consuming two cups of coffee per day.
The keyword, of course, is "moderate."
Consumption of alcohol in high amounts has been proven to be dangerous to the body, especially to the liver which takes the brunt of the damage. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, over time, drinking too much might lead to several serious illnesses such as stroke, alcoholic hepatitis, pancreatitis, and several types of cancer.
The World Health Organization, earlier this year, released a report revealing that 3 million people around the world died because of 'harmful' alcohol consumption. Alcohol was directly responsible for 28 percent of the deaths that include self-harm, interpersonal violence, and traffic crashes.
The Oldest Age Group
"The 90+ Study" also found that people who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than those who weighed normal or were underweight around the same age.
Scientists also found that over 40 percent of people who reached the age of 90 and beyond have dementia. Half of them do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brains that could explain why they developed the neurodegenerative disease.
People who have the APOE2 gene are also less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the most common type of dementia. However, the study found that those who do have Alzheimer's have neuropathology in their brains.
Age is still the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.
Meanwhile, almost 80 percent of participants have a disability.
