Eat, drink and grow old

DRINKING a couple of glasses of wine or beer a night – while adding a kilo or two in weight – could be the secret to living into your 90s, a major study has found.

The research, which looked at those who had lived beyond 90, identified modest alcohol consumption as one of five key factors linked to a long life. It found those who had about two glasses of beer or wine every day had an 18 per cent reduced risk of premature death compared with those who were teetotal.

Being slightly overweight, but not obese, also appeared to reduce the risk of early death.