A shot at a long life

By all accounts, the comedian George Burns had a great life. He lived to be 100 and spent his golden years eating junk food, smoking cheap cigars, drinking martinis, and playing bridge. I'm not too sure about the rest of it, but it looks like old George was on to something with his evening nightcaps. Researchers in England have confirmed that reasonable alcohol consumption can prolong your life.

Doctors at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that alcohol consumption reduced the death rate in England and Wales by about 2 percent more than would be expected in a non-drinking population. (I didn't even know there was such a thing.) This is an impressive statistical finding. Of course, as with any piece of good news, this one comes with a quid pro quo. The benefits of drinking only favor men 55 years old or older and women 65 years or older.

Don't get too enthusiastic about this. Three ounces of liquor a day would be pushing the limit of sobriety for most men. And women are more sensitive to alcohol than men, so ladies, you should limit yourselves to one glass of wine  at lunch and two full glasses at dinner, maximum.