Some Good News for a Change
From Time this morning:
... a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies.
Some of us have known this, however unscientifically, since our early twenties. But it's nice to see the puritanical/nanny impulse in our society butt up against inconvenient facts.... I'm sure it will be just another decade or so before somebody finds "CFLs Found More Harmful to Environment than Iridescent Bulbs." How many times do the know-it-alls have to be reminded -- there are way too many things we just don't know??
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Jul '10
Re: Some Good News for a Change
I'll drink to that!
Re: Some Good News for a Change
I've always suspected that drinking -- in moderation -- was good for more than just making people seem more attractive, although if it did only that it would still be incredibly useful.
Three drinks a day is actually a fairly generous pour, when you think about it. And it's nice to know that it's a life-extender, and almost medicinal, if you spin it the right way. Medicinal. Inexpensive. Healthy. Shouldn't it be covered under Obamacare?
May '10
Re: Some Good News for a Change
Pretty soon I'm going to have to take alcohol capsules with my fish oil capsules. I wish I liked the taste of the stuff, but as with coffee, I can't stand it.
Rubber Duckie likes her nightly glass of red wine, one more indication that she will appreciably outlive me.
Jul '10
Re: Some Good News for a Change
Under obamacare drinking alcohol will come with a fine and/or incarceration for practicing medicine without a license. Discouraging drinking would therefore increase the trips to the hospital at earlier ages, increasing the waiting list. C'mon, Rob....
Edited on Aug 31, 2010 at 12:13pmRe: Some Good News for a Change
I join the general sigh of relief, Steve. For once! The facts are on our side!
Side note for Duane: One of these days, will you offer a tour of the constantly changing photos in your avatar? And explain how you look so young? (I've met one of your daughters. I know you can't be quite as young as you look. Since I've reached a certain age myself, techniques for self-preservation, to use the term quite literally, have become a subject of endless interest.)
May '10
Re: Some Good News for a Change
I think it's a great liberal government conspiracy. Think about it: The coincidence in timing of Prohibition and Social Security. By making everyone stop drinking they figured they could cause everyone to die early and the system would stay solvent.
The financial mess of Social Security is all due to the repeal of Prohibition.
Jul '10
Re: Some Good News for a Change
This is exactly why I am sitting on my deck drinling an ice-cold martini on a perfect summer evening.
Well, not really. But how's this for a hypothesis: people who drink are - by definition - less prone to spend time fretting about their health. That's what'll kill you.
May '10
Re: Some Good News for a Change
Peter Robinson: I join the general sigh of relief, Steve. For once! The facts are on our side!
Side note for Duane: One of these days, will you offer a tour of the constantly changing photos in your avatar? And explain how you look so young? (I've met one of your daughters. I know you can't be quite as young as you look. Since I've reached a certain age myself, techniques for self-preservation, to use the term quite literally, have become a subject of endless interest.) · Aug 31 at 12:24pm
Oh, gosh. Married 37 years, so you know I'm late in the 50's, but my 93 year old mom looks 75- a genetic factor, I guess. I've run and fumbled with weights for decades to keep fit.
This Summer when I went to help #2 daughter move back from China, we stopped off in Vietnam for a few days and went through the Cu Chi tunnels- that was one photo. The current one is from my sky-diving adventure (tandem, so it was idiot-proof, necessary for me....) last month; our great-niece and her husband own a skydiving company in SC.