A sherry a day can keep the doctor away
It seems that for women over 70 a glass or two of sherry a day can keep the doctor away, according to research carried out by the University of Newcastle when they tracked 12,400 women over a period of six years.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that drinking two glasses of alcohol every afternoon helped elderly women to live longer and happier. They lived longer than abstainers and reported better physical and mental health.
The study’s author, Professor Julie Byles, said that anti-oxidants in the wine could be responsible for helping women live longer. Professor Byles said that “the health benefits that moderate alcohol consumption can provide are likely to be multiple.
“The social and pleasurable benefits of drinking, as well as the improved appetite and nutrition that may accompany modest alcohol intake, could also play a role”.
But Professor Byles also warned against elderly abstainers suddenly deciding to jump into the afternoon sherries. “Quite a few older people don’t drink for medical reasons, so we don’t want them suddenly taking it up against medical advice. But if a couple of glasses a day has been someone’s habit we found no reason for that not to continue”, she said.
