Parenting

People Who Drink 2 Glasses Of Wine A Day Live Longer

by Megan Zander
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Two people toasting with glasses of black and white wine while eating a meal in a restaurant
Image via westend61/Getty Images

The key to living past 90 could be in the bottom of your wineglass

According to a study of over 1,600 people in their 90s presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science earlier this month, drinking two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer every day could increase your chance of living past 90 by 18%.

We’ll toast to those odds.

The 90+ Study at the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders started in 2003, with the goal of analyzing the fastest growing age group to find out what habits contributed to quantity and quality of life. In other words — what do we need to do to get on Betty White’s level?

Image via Giphy

Neurologist and head of the study, Dr. Claudia Kawas, said the secret to growing old could be as simple as getting a daily dose of your favorite Pinot. “I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,” she said during her presentation. Sad trombone noise for anyone who’s a fan of hard liquor or Margarita Mondays. It appears wine and beer are the only adult bevvies that may hold the key to the fountain of youth.

Dr. Kawas also pointed out the unshocking news that regular exercise could help you add more years to your life line. The study found that exercising 15-45 minutes per day could slash your risk of premature death by 11%. Doing some sort of hobby for at least two hours a day to engage the mind (we’re guess Instagram scrolling doesn’t count?) appears to cut your risk down by 21%.

If you’re someone who’s always thinking they should try to lose a few pounds, you might want to reconsider your position on delicious cake, especially if you’d like a lot more birthday parties of your own where you can eat it. It appears having a little junk in the trunk might be good for your health as you age. People whose BMI fell into the overweight category in their 70s decreased the risk of a premature death by 3% compared to those who were underweight, obese or in the “normal” weight range. “It’s not bad to be skinny when you’re young, but it’s very bad to be skinny when you’re old,” Kawas said at during her presentation. Cookie, anti-aging biscuit — same thing.

So grab yourself a cross stitch, pop a handful of chips, top off a glass with your favorite vino, and get ready to live forever.

This article was originally published on