| Wine Drinkers Healthier Than Beer Drinkers, Says Oulu Researcher |
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| By Edward Dutton | ||||||
| Friday, 04 May 2007 | ||||||
 Photo Wikipedia Examining the results of a thirty year study, it was demonstrated that wine drinkers had far lower mortality rates. The study published recently in Journals of Gerontology, sought to determine if people's drinking habits affected how long they lived. The study was led by Timo Strandberg, a researcher at the Oulu University. His subjects were all male Finns born between 1917 and 1934. All of the men were from similar social backgrounds, holding ‘leading positions’ in private companies. They had relatively ‘high incomes’, although exact salaries were not available. This was to avoid the accusation that wine drinking might go hand in hand with higher social status. Over the thirty year period, the men had their health and alcohol intake regularly monitored. The men were examined in 1974, in 1985 and again in 2000. Following this method, the Oulu scientists wanted to discover the relationship between alcohol consumption and quality as well as length of life. In 1974, 2,468 men reported if they preferred wine, beer or spirits, or if they didn't drink, or had no favourite drink. By 1985, only 1369 men were available to be assessed. Some dropped out, some changed their alcohol habits and 93 had died. There was another examination in 2000 by 2002 there were 1127 men left who could be assessed. "Preference of wine was associated with decreased mortality when compared with preference for beer or spirits over a follow-up of 29 years," the scientists reported. Wine drinkers had a 34 percent lower rate of mortality, when compared to those who drink spirits. Beer drinkers had a nine percent lower mortality rate than drinkers of spirits. Wine drinkers were healthier by the end of the study and did better on tests of mental health as well. However, wine drinkers, despite similar socio-economic backgrounds to other drinkers, tended to exercise more and smoke less meaning than wine consumption could still be only one factor in keeping healthy. The article writers were left asking whether it was the drinkers’ lives or their choice of wine, over beer, that made them healthier. Equally, they speculated that drinkers of spirits may lead riskier lives than drinkers of beer or wine. Beer is relatively easy to get hold of in Finland and can be bought from Kiosks and Supermarkets. Wine and Spirits can only be bought from the state monopoly Alko which has limited opening hours.
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