THE old question about whether wine is good or bad for you has come up again, this time in the context of longevity.

Dan Buettner, a leading longevity researcher, has conducted extensive studies on the lifestyle habits of residents in regions known as the ‘Blue Zones’, communities whose inhabitants consistently enjoy long lives.

He recently pointed out that 87% of 90-year-olds living in the Mediterranean Blue Zones report drinking wine daily.

“Could they live longer if they didn’t drink at all? Maybe.

“But what is indisputable is that wine has been part of their diet and culture for millennia, and it’s just as likely that if we took wine away from them, they would live shorter lives.”

However, the messaging is at odds with contemporary advice that alcohol is ‘poison’, leaving experts to suggest that other lifestyle factors may be responsible for their longevity.

“To my mind, it’s all about a healthy lifestyle: exercise, managing stress, getting enough sleep, eating good food, having a social life,” said Australian GP Dr Hester Wilson.

“For some people, having that glass of wine is part of that quality of life because they’re already doing all the other good things,” she told the Daily Mail.

Dr Wilson urged people to consider the circumstances in which they drink: “make it occasional and make sure it’s part of celebration, part of your social life,” she stressed.

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