By Dan Satherley
Heavy drinking might be under fire from all sides these days, but science says if you want to live long, it might pay to grab another beer and join the party.
New research, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research and reported on by Time, says abstaining from alcohol dramatically increases one's risk of dying.
The study looked at 1824 participants who had outpatient care between the ages of 55 and 65. Over the next 20 years, 69 percent of teetotallers died, 60 percent of heavy drinkers, and only 41 percent of moderate drinkers.
The six-member team controlled for "nearly all imaginable variables" including fitness, number of close friends and socioeconomic status.
Former heavy drinkers were excluded from the study, so the comparatively high death rate for non-drinkers could not be blamed on health problems brought on by heavy drinking earlier in life.
A definite cause of the unexpected result wasn't pinpointed, but it has been suggested that drinkers tend to be less stressed and more social than non-drinkers.
"Social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health," Time's John Cloud writes.
"Non-drinkers show greater signs of depression than those who allow themselves to join the party."
He says this is the strongest evidence yet that "moderate drinking is not only fun, but good for you".
The study did not take into account the non-fatal consequences of drinking, however – such as memory impairment, weight gain and drunken mistakes – only overall mortality.
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