one of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink tend to die sooner than those who do. the standard alcoholics anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking。

　　but a new paper in the journal alcoholism: clinical and experimental research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does tend to increase one's risk of dying, even when you exclude former problem drinkers. the most shocking part is abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers。

　　moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health。

　　but why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life? even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables - socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, number of close friends, quality of social support and so on - the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist charles holahan of the university of texas at austin) found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who were not current drinkers, regardless of whether they used to be alcoholics, second highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers。

　　one important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health。

　　the authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it can impair your memory severely and it can lead to nonlethal falls and other mishaps (like, say, cheating on your spouse in a drunken haze) that can screw up your life. so the new study provides the strongest evidence yet that moderate drinking is not only fun but good for you。

　　美国《时代》周刊8月30日文章：为何酒鬼比不喝酒者活得长？

　　关于饮酒一直是人类文明长河中最具争议的话题之一，之前人们发现不喝酒的人反而寿命更短。对此戒酒无名会的官方解释是，那些参与此类实验的所谓滴酒不沾的人在戒酒以前都是酒鬼，身体早就因为酒精患上了种种不治之症。

　　然而，最新一期《酒精中毒临床与实验研究》刊登的文章指出，尽管原因不明，不喝酒确实会导致死亡率升高，即使不算那些之前喝酒后来戒酒的人。最让人震惊的是文章称不喝酒的人比酗酒的人早死的几率要高。

　　研究显示，适量饮酒，如每日饮酒一到三杯，可降低死亡率。适当饮酒(特别是红酒)有利于增进心脏健康。

　　但为什么滴酒不沾的人反倒活得短呢？即便抛开所有想得到的可变因素，如社会经济地位、身体状况、好友数目、社会支持等，研究人员(由德克萨斯大学心理学家查理斯-霍拉汉带领的六人研究小组)历时20年的研究发现，不管他们以前有没有饮过酒，滴酒不沾的人死亡率是最高的，第二高时酗酒者，死亡率最低的是适度饮酒者。

　　一个重要的原因是，饮酒有助于人际交往，而人际交往时保持身心健康的重要因素。

　　报告的作者也小心翼翼地指出，即使饮酒有助于长寿，其也是有危险之处的：它可以严重损害你的记忆能力、导致种种不良结果和意外发生(例如酒后出轨)，从而毁掉你的生活。对于适度饮酒不仅有情趣而且有益健康，该研究提供了证据。