Cheers! Beers for a long life

The UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders’ recently released 90+ Study contains a wealth of information on longevity, dementia, cognitive decline and disabilities gleaned from the oldest-old of society. One item of particular significance in beer-crazy Chico: A couple of servings of alcohol each night may help you live past 90. “I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,” said Dr. Claudia Kawas, a neurology specialist and head of the study, which analyzed information from over 1,600 nonagenarians. That data showed that people who drank two glasses of beer or wine a day improved their odds of living longer than those who abstained by about 18 percent. And your beer belly might not be a problem, either. The study shows that people who were overweight—but not obese—in their 70s lived longer than normal or skinny people did.