Residents of the Blue Zones—five parts of the world where the life expectancy is longer than anywhere else in the world—typically drink one to two glasses of wine on a regular basis, and they're living to be some of the world's oldest people.
Centenarians from the blue zones regions of the world often drink up to two glasses of wine every day as a way to “downshift” from the stressors of daily life. Sardinians, in particular, drink the garnet-red Cannonau wine.
You can consume alcohol and live to a happy 100, even up to one drink daily for women, two for men. We know from blue zones centenarians that this is true: People in four original blue zones areas drink alcohol moderately and regularly. The trick is to drink one to two glasses per day with friends and/or with food.
Long-term use of alcohol was linked to a reduced risk of death; compared to men who did not drink, those drinking between 0-20g/day had a 57% lower cerebrovascular mortality risk, a 30% lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 25% reduced risk of death due to any cause.
The mechanism is the antioxidants in red wine. Antioxidants sop up damaging free radicals that play a role in aging and age-related diseases. There is a much higher concentration of antioxidants called polyphenols, including resveratrol, in wine compared to grape juice.
Eating plenty of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and cooking with olive oil could explain the high life expectancy rate in Italy. The number of centenarians, or people that are over the age of 100, has tripled in Italy over the last 15 years. Out of the total number of centenarians, 83 percent are women.
Chemical analyses recently confirmed that the earliest alcoholic beverage in the world was a mixed fermented drink of rice, honey, and hawthorn fruit and/or grape. The residues of the beverage, dated ca. 7000–6600 BCE, were recovered from early pottery from Jiahu, a Neolithic village in the Yellow River Valley.
Evidence of alcoholic beverages has also been found dating from 5400 to 5000 BC in Hajji Firuz Tepe in Iran, 3150 BC in ancient Egypt, 3000 BC in Babylon, 2000 BC in pre-Hispanic Mexico and 1500 BC in Sudan.
The best wines can be stored for more than 100 years, but most great wines will reach their peak before they turn 50 years old.
In addition to a daily cup of coffee, blue zones centenarians drink water, tea and wine. While coffee is often a hotly-debated health topic, it's shown to carry many health benefits. Most centenarians in blue zones regions drink up to two or three cups of black coffee per day!
Wine is another type of alcohol that gets better with age. Typically, red wines age best due to the high levels of residual sugar combined with the grapes' natural acidity. Cabernets are a great example of the creamy texture and complex taste gained through the aging process.
Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was linked to the largest reduction in early death, compared to people who drank no coffee, according to the statement. Ground coffee consumption lowered the risk of death by 27%, followed by 14% for decaffeinated, and 11% for instant caffeinated coffee.
Folic acid and omega-3 supplements are the only ones linked to improved heart health and a longer life. Taking omega-3 fatty acids supplements and folic acid are the only two supplements linked to living a longer life and improved heart heath, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say.
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has created specific guidelines for those aged 65 and older. Those who do not take medication and are in good health should limit their total alcohol consumption to no more than seven drinks per week.
The teetotaler (0 drinks/week) and the excessive drinker (8+ drinks/week) were projected to live to 92 and 93 years old, respectively. The same person having one drink per week was projected to live to 94, and the moderate drinker (2-7 drinks/week) was projected to live 95 years.
The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.
Dehydration can sap your skin of moisture and elasticity, leading to sagginess, dryness, and wrinkles. In other words, alcohol use can make you look old. Moreover, the older you get, the more likely you are to be dehydrated. Even one night of heavy drinking can make your lines and wrinkles look more pronounced.
Post-Prohibition and Frequent Changes
After the 21st Amendment passed in December 1933, most set their legal minimum drinking age at 21. This limit remained consistent until the late 1960s and 1970s. During this time, numerous states lowered the minimum drinking age to 18.
Unopened liquor has an indefinite shelf life. Opened liquor lasts about a year or two before it goes bad, meaning it starts losing its color and flavor. Don't use a liquor for well drinks if you won't use the whole bottle within two years. It does not generally become toxic, though.
Asian Americans enjoy the longest life expectancy of any racial or ethnic group (87.3 years) in the U.S. today. Latinos enjoy the 2nd longest life expectancy of any racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. today. They live, on average to 83.5 years.
Japanese life expectancy
This low mortality is mainly attributable to a low rate of obesity, low consumption of red meat, and high consumption of fish and plant foods such as soybeans and tea. In Japan, the obesity rate is low (4.8% for men and 3.7% for women).