Giving Compass' Take:

• Several studies have researched the effects of alcohol and longevity. By also examining factors such as disease, socioeconomic status, exercise and economy, the question on how to live a longer life is being analyzed. 

• How can donors fund more research projects on how to live a longer, happier life?

• Learn more about the debate over the effects of alcohol.

In April, an article in the Lancet regarding safe limits for alcohol levels reignited the long-held debate regarding safe levels of alcohol consumption.

The study looked at the life expectancy at 40 years for drinkers according to the amount of alcohol that they consumed. It concluded that higher alcohol consumption was linearly related to lower life expectancy. Put simply, the more you drink, the shorter your lifespan. This was hysterically reported in the media with headlines in the Guardian claiming that a single glass of wine can rob you of 30 minutes of precious life, and “drinking more than five glasses of wine a week could knock years off life,” frothed The Daily Telegraph. Gone from this study was the strong body of research over decades that notes a lower risk of death for those drinking in moderation compared with non-drinkers.

Read the full article about alcohol and longevity by Freya Lodge at The Naked Scientists.