Study Suggests Moderate Drinkers Live Longer Than Tee-Totallers. Contrary to what you might immediately expect, a study has discovered drinking beer every day can vastly increase your chances of reaching the ripe old age of 90.
Yeah, you heard. This might finally be the excuse you've been looking for.
The study, performed by the boffins over at Maastricht University in The Netherlands, discovered men who drink half a pint of beer each day are 81 percent more likely to enter a tenth decade than those who are teetotal.
There's good news in there for the ladies, too. Women who drink comparable amounts see their chances of blowing out an unrealistic amount of candles increased by a third.
Hell, according to these guys you can have two pints a day, or three (small) drams of whisky every day - that's twice as much as the NHS recommends - are two thirds as likely to hit the big nine-oh.
So, after all this big talk, let's have a look at what they actually found out.
Lead researcher Prof. Dr. Piet van den Brandt and his team tracked the boozing habits of 5,500 people over the course of 20 years.
He said: "Our analyses show significantly positive associations between alcohol and longevity in men and women."
Their theory, or one of them at least, is that drinking in moderation is actually good for your heart, but too much is toxic.
That means that bingeing ain't the way if you want to enjoy a lengthy life.
Also, if you're a non-drinker, this doesn't mean you're on the wrong path and should be hitting the hard stuff.
They continued: "The results should not be used as motivation to start drinking."
Of course, this is just one study, and - much like a shot of tequila - should be taken with a pinch of salt.
There are other studies that suggest even one drink every week can increase your chances of getting cancer.
Don't just take our word for it, that titbit comes from Prof Dame Sally Davies, and she's a former Chief Medical Officer for England.
She knows what she's talking about as much as the fellas over in Maastricht.
Sir Ian Gilmore, from the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, added: "There is no evidence to suggest non-drinkers should start for the good of their health."
As far as the NHS guidelines go, 14 units of alcohol - that's six pints of beer or six normal glasses of wine - should be your weekly limit.
If you're going to live until you're 90 - from the legal age of 18 - that's still around 22,526 pints of beer, so you can't complain.
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