Drinking wine gives men long life

Agence France-Presse

"Drinking wine was strongly associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and death from all causes," read the study.

Effects varied, however, men who drink up to 20 grams of any type of alcohol per day live for about two years longer than nondrinkers, while the length of time is slightly lesser for those drinking more than 20 grams. Those drinking only wine, and less than half a glass a day, lived some 2.5 years longer than those who drank beer and spirits, and almost five years longer than nondrinkers, said the study.

The study was based on the research of some 1,373 men between 1960 and 2000. The researchers studied how much alcohol they drank and what type. One surprising result found that the proportion of men drinking alcohol nearly doubled over the four decades, from 45 percent in 1960 to 86 percent in 2000.