Regular drinking is good for the elderly: Doctors

London, Jan 2 (UNI) All those elderly who had a couple of drinks to celebrate the New Year need not worry, as regular moderate drinking is good for them, doctors say.

Alcohol can boost the functioning of the brain, banish depression and provide a sense of well-being to the over-65s, they said, concluding that two drinks a day did not harm the elderly and in some cases it was more beneficial than abstinence.

According to a report from the Peninsula Medical School, men and women who drink moderately see ''a beneficial effect on cognitive and general health.

The Daily Mail quoted Dr Iain Lang, author of the report as saying, ''We are not advocating that elderly people should go out and get ridiculously drunk. What we are saying is that a couple of drinks a day will do no harm.'' Researchers from the school assessed the drinking levels of more than 13,000 Britons and Americans aged 65 and over, looking at the effects on physical disability, mortality, cognitive function, and wellbeing.

The worst health results were among those who did not drink at all and heavy drinkers, but those consuming on an average around one or two glasses a day were better off.

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