Study: Drinking Wine is More Important than Exercise to Living Past 90

Living long enough to see your children and grandchildren grow is priceless.  Unfortunately, not many people are lucky enough for this to happen.

Living Longer With…Wine?

Although medicine has significantly progressed over time and has done great jumps in keeping us healthy, this is not the only thing keeping us going.

So, what`s the secret? A study named 90+ Study started in 2003 with the goal of analyzing the oldest-old which is turning into the fastest growing age group worldwide.  The participants in this study were initially part of another study named The Leisure World Cohort Study (LWCS) which started in 1981.

Utilizing the information from these participants, the team of researchers working on the 90+ Study were able to ask, ‘What allows people to live to age 90 and beyond?’

The goals of the study were to:

– Determine factors associated with longevity

– Determining modifiable risk factors for mortality and dementia

– Examine rates of cognitive and functional decline in the oldest-old

– Examine the epidemiology of dementia in the oldest-old

– Examine clinical pathological correlations in the oldest-old

The participants in the study are visited two times annually for neurophysiological and neurological tests.

By The Glass Or By The Bottle?

Drinking wine can help, but this doesn’t mean that you should drink a whole bottle with dinner.  Moderation is the key! According to Mayo Clinic, for healthy adults older than 65, moderation is one drink.  For those under 65, it is two drinks. A standard drink is 12 fluid ounces of beer, 5 fluid ounces of wine, or 1.5 fluid ounces of distilled spirits.

It was shown that moderate alcohol consumption provides the following benefits:

– Lower chances of ischemic stroke

– Possible reduction of your risk of diabetes

– Reduced risk of developing or dying from heart disease

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine looked at how physical activity can counteract the negative effects of drinking. Senior author of the study, Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis studied data gathered from heath surveys from England and Scotland and then divided their 36, 370 participants in three groups.

The groups were divided into those weren’t very active, those with moderate amount of exercise, and those who exercised on a regular basis. Then, the team of researchers looked at how much alcohol the people in each group consumed, respectively.

Calculating 5,735 total deaths over a follow-up period of 10 years per person, the researchers found that compared with lifelong abstinence from alcohol, hazardous drinking was associated with an increased risk of death from all causes. They also noted that the more drinks had weekly, the greater the risk of death from cancer.

When they compared the weekly recommended amount of exercise for adults, they discovered that it “appeared to wipe off completely” the risk of cancer deaths due to alcohol.

Your Living Christmas Tree Is Most Likely Crawling With Bugs

When this time of the year comes, the euphoria and the Christmas spirit are boosted with the colorful Christmas trees in every single house, market, mall, and shops.

We all love them, but if you think about getting a live one and gather around it to open the presents, we advise you to think again.

Apparently, since the tree has been grown outdoors, it brings you guests to the Christmas party!

Mites

Mites most often live on douglas-fir, white pine, Fraser fir, and spruce trees, and prey on insect and mite eggs. They are small and difficult to notice, with a light color.

They become active once they are exposed to heat.  They are harmless, but if you notice an old bird’s nest in your Christmas tree, remove it to avoid these parasites.

Aphids

This creature has 6 legs, no wings, and measures one-eighth of an inch. As soon as it enters your home on the tree, it mimics the conditions of springtime and activates their life cycle.

The most common variety is Cinara aphid, which lives in spruces, pines, balsam fir, Fraser fir, and white fir trees.

Spiders

Spiders are harmless too, but most people find them creepy. Yet, they control the bug population of the tree under control. Most spiders die off not soon after being introduced to the indoors.

To keep insects at bay, especially over the holidays, you should carefully inspect the branches and trunk of the tree, in order to check for visible egg sacs or other infestations.

When you buy A Christmas tree, leave it in the garage for a day to give the bugs time to leave it. Then, spray some neem oil on it to destroy the ones who have remained. Avoid the use of pesticides, as they are flammable.

However, having a fake tree can be as festive, and is your best option if you want to be sure that your tree is bug-free.