Gin o’clock is good news for older women
Accusations of mother’s ruin usually accompany regular drinking by older women, but a daily dose of alcohol could actually improve women’s health in old age.
A study of 14,000 middle-aged women found that moderate but regular alcohol consumption could have health benefits for them in old age.
Drinking two spirit measures, or under three small glasses of wine a day (between 15.1 and 30 grams of alcohol), improved the chances of “successful ageing” by 28 per cent. This was defined by the authors as living to at least 70, being free of cancer, heart conditions and other chronic diseases, and avoiding any major mental or physical impairment.
Compared to non-drinkers, women who had a drink five to seven days a week were nearly 50 per cent more likely to have good health as they age.
But regular drinkers also benefited more than binge drinkers or those who drink more on one single occasion.
The study, published in the online journal Public Library of Science Medicine, concluded that light to moderate alcohol consumption generally goes hand in hand with better long-term health.
The scientists acknowledged “a concern” among women that alcohol might increase the risk of breast cancer, but they concluded that “the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption on overall health might outweigh the risks of specific diseases such as breast cancer.”