It seems drinking whisky and cigars can increase your lifespan – sounds crazy, right? Well, Richard Overton, USA’s oldest veteran is 108 years old and has been drinking whisky and smoking cigars for the majority of his life.
So, is this man just genetically gifted or could his routine be the key to living a longer life?
Whisky:
For the majority of us, drinking excessive amounts of whisky can lead to serious health problems, including:
- Cancer: most typically throat cancer
- Seizures
- Gout
- Cardiovascular disease
But, the distilled alcoholic beverage also has some more unlikely health benefits – you’ll be surprised!
Studies have shown that whisky can help with:
Weight loss
Excessive drinking, especially beer, will pile on the calories and lead to the infamous ‘beer belly’, but drinking whisky in moderation should not be a factor in weight gain.
Despite whisky’s high volume of alcohol, it actually does have documented health benefits, which include:
- Low in saturated fat
- Low in carbohydrates (as opposed to beer, which can pack on 200 calories in a single pint)
- Low level of sodium (Lite beers have more sodium than regular beers)
Richard Overton says: “It’s just like medicine,”. Overton smokes cigars daily, too… “I may drink a little [whiskey] in the evening too with some soda water…Whiskey’s a good medicine. It keeps your muscles tender.”
Prevents Dementia
The majority of us have experienced waking up in bed without any memory of how we got there, but luckily, it’s only a short-term side-effect.
Dementia however, is a debilitating condition that causes memory loss that gets progressively worse as the disease progresses…drinking whisky is thought to slow down this process.
Whisky contains ellagic acid, a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals in the body that interrupt neural pathways, contributing to memory decline.
This antioxidant is also seen as a preventative measure against cancer.
Diabetes control
Are you having trouble controlling your insulin glucose level? Well, you may actually benefit from a tot of whisky!
If diabetes runs in your family, a moderate intake of liquid gold has also been shown to reduce the chances of you developing diabetes.
Cigars
What Are The Risks of Puffing away?
The Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program conducted a study where the health records of cigar smokers were monitored from 1971 – 1996 and it was found that:
It was found that cigar smokers had:
- Double the risk of developing throat cancer
- Double the risk of developing lung cancer
- 1.27 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease
- 1.45 times more likely to develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
So, why did Overton survive this long on whiskey and cigars?
There can be a couple of reason Overton seems to defy the rules of science:
- Smoking cigars and not cigarettes may also be part of the reason he hasn’t got cancer; most people puff at cigars and don’t inhale the smoke. (Especially considering that he smokes about 12 cigars per day without suffering the side-effects we see in studies).
- He has also made a point of saying that he enjoys life and doesn’t seem to suffer from stress, depression or any other potential life-limiting psychological factors: He spends his days doing simple labour and provides many of the widows in the area with a lift to church.
It may not sound glamourous, but this is what he enjoys doing…living life on his own terms, not suffering from the daily stressors that the majority of us deal with on a daily basis.
And when we suffer from stress, many of us may having a tot of whisky to dull our frustrations– unlike Overton, who drinks whisky because he enjoys it – this is the difference-maker!
So, it seems that enjoyment of life is the key to Overton’s long life – the whisky and cigars, regardless of their pros and cons, are his luxuries.
Sources: Organic Facts, The Luxury Spot, 2 Oceans Vibes, Gawker, Quit Smoking Support, Share Care, WebMD, Live Science