This may be good news for senior citizens who enjoy a late afternoon beer or a glass of wine with dinner.
A new study has found moderate alcohol drinking may prevent the development of physical disabilities, which would deter seniors from doing common tasks such as walking and dressing themselves.
The catch? Seniors have to have already been in good health.
Researchers based their findings on approximately 4,276 people split evenly between men and women, with 92 percent of the participants being white.
At the start of the study, none of the subjects had a disability.
Light to moderate drinkers, which came to 51 percent of the men and 45 percent of the women, were found to have a lower risk for developing new disabilities within the study period when compared to people who abstained from drinking and people who drank heavily.
The drinkers who benefited the most from the study drank fewer than 15 drinks per week. The study did not mention if a certain beer fared better than others.
While moderate drinking may have health benefits, seniors who do develop a disability should abstain from alcohol as consuming the beverage can make their condition worse.
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