Light to moderate alcohol consumption (Half a Glass of Wine a Day) lowers the risk of heart-related death, but it is not clear whether this protective effect depends on the specific type of alcoholic beverage.
In addition, not much is known about the effects of long-term alcohol intake on life expectancy. According to a study, drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may increase longevity by 5 years in men.
Researchers from the Netherlands studied 1373 men to determine the effect of long-term alcohol intake and type of alcoholic beverage consumed on cardiovascular death and life expectancy at age fifty. They found that, compared with no alcohol consumption, long-term light alcohol intake averaging less than half a glass daily lowered the risk of death from heart-related causes and all causes and also increased life expectancy by 5 years.
The researchers caution that more studies are needed to verify the strength of the association between wine intake and the risk of death.
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