Two glasses of wine “improves quality of life”

Moderate wine drinking has been shown to improve quality of life, according to a new study.

Research from the Boston University School of Medicine has shown that by drinking alcohol regularly and in moderate amounts, middle-aged adults may improve their quality of life.

The quality of life was measured using the Health Utilities index, which looks at factors including dexterity, emotion, cognition and mobility.

They studied 5,404 Canadians at age 50, and continued to observe them over a follow up period.

The  study finds that those who drink in moderation – no more than 14 drinks a week and no more than three a day for women and four a day for men – have better overall scores than those who abstain completely.

Regular moderate drinkers had the highest quality of life, but subsequent changes in quality of life indicators were similar in all groups except for those reporting decreasing alcohol consumption.

Most of the adults showed stable alcohol consumption patterns over six years.

The authors wrote, “Overall, this study shows a positive relation between regular moderate alcohol intake and quality of life in middle-aged adults.

“The effects on the subsequent quality of life as one ages of continued alcohol consumption, or of decreasing intake, remain unclear.”