I’m guessing wine-drinking countries also have good diets. Seeing as it’s mostly around the Mediterranean and thereabouts. E.g. people of Caucasus are traditionally known for longevity while being pretty hardcore drinkers of wine and other stuff during celebrations, but they also have kingly cuisines and live in resort climates.
AFAIK part of the problem is that the people who don’t drink alcohol include those who no longer drink any, but used to, i.e. recovering alcoholics or people with other health issues.
For any drug but alcohol, studies wouldn’t mix previous consumers in with those who never consumed any of it, but here, afaik, funding from booze companies complicates the situation.
That’s correct. It’s an example of why assuming that “correlation = causation” can lead to some bad decisions.
Drinking wine and living longer are correlated, but it is not likely that one causes the other. It is more likely that there is something else (such as disposable income) that causes both.
In a similar way, ice-cream sales and drownings peak at the same time every year. The ice-cream is not causing people to drown, and neither are drowning people buying a significant amount of ice-cream. Both can be attributed to the higher temperatures of summer.
Drinking wine and living longer are correlated, but it is not likely that one causes the other. It is more likely that there is something else (such as disposable income) that causes both.
Higher income leads to better food options, having time to exercise (and actually doing it), making use of healthcare services, coupled with the fact that these people likely only drink that 1-2 glasses of wine each night, and outside of social events, may not drink any other alcohol. so yeah, it’s less about the wine than it is all the other socioeconomic factors that drive the sort of lifestyle that person would have.
People who drink wine live longer.
It’s not the wine that’s extending people’s lives, it’s the healthcare and lower stress from having enough money to afford wine.
I’m guessing wine-drinking countries also have good diets. Seeing as it’s mostly around the Mediterranean and thereabouts. E.g. people of Caucasus are traditionally known for longevity while being pretty hardcore drinkers of wine and other stuff during celebrations, but they also have kingly cuisines and live in resort climates.
Living under a bridge but still got that thunderbird money. Trolls regenerate, brother.
Source for the first claim?
A random magazine comparing average lifespan of different countries.
Another possible explanation would be that most of the high lifespan countries had universal healthcare.
I doubt any efforts went into fact checking as the magazine just used the fact to promote wine drinking.
AFAIK part of the problem is that the people who don’t drink alcohol include those who no longer drink any, but used to, i.e. recovering alcoholics or people with other health issues.
For any drug but alcohol, studies wouldn’t mix previous consumers in with those who never consumed any of it, but here, afaik, funding from booze companies complicates the situation.
That… doesn’t sound very compelling.
Alcoholism is associated with disease and death, and wine is just another form of alcohol.
That’s correct. It’s an example of why assuming that “correlation = causation” can lead to some bad decisions.
Drinking wine and living longer are correlated, but it is not likely that one causes the other. It is more likely that there is something else (such as disposable income) that causes both.
In a similar way, ice-cream sales and drownings peak at the same time every year. The ice-cream is not causing people to drown, and neither are drowning people buying a significant amount of ice-cream. Both can be attributed to the higher temperatures of summer.
Higher income leads to better food options, having time to exercise (and actually doing it), making use of healthcare services, coupled with the fact that these people likely only drink that 1-2 glasses of wine each night, and outside of social events, may not drink any other alcohol. so yeah, it’s less about the wine than it is all the other socioeconomic factors that drive the sort of lifestyle that person would have.
Yeah, I remember reading in my psych textbook that ice cream consumption was correlated with homicidal behaviour, which is obviously not causal.