A new study shows that people who drink alcohol on a regular basis will likely have longer lives than people who don’t.

The study, described by the Business Insider as a “tightly controlled” one, involved individuals ages 55 to 65 whose drinking habits were recorded over a 20-year period taking into account variables such as socioeconomic status as well as physical activity.

The newly released study led by the University of Texas’s Charles Holahan, found that mortality rate is highest for those who abstained from alcohol altogether while it is lower for heavy drinkers. Moderate drinkers who have three drinks a day have the lowest mortality rate, based on the data.

There were 1, 824 participants in the study and 41 percent of moderate drinkers had premature deaths compared to 69 percent for non drinkers. The data also indicates that heavy drinkers did much better than those who never drank alcohol.

While drinking alcohol increases the risks of several diseases, the study shows that since alcohol is a great social lubricant, it is very likely that it strengthened the social networks of moderate and heavy drinkers.

A strong social network, based on other studies done before, has been found to be important in maintaining physical and mental health. It was also noted that those who never took a sip of alcohol have higher propensity for depression. In addition to this, those who drink moderately especially those who drink red wine, have increased blood circulation.

While we are inclined to say that individuals should drink responsibly, Holahan’s study warrants a bottle of wine. Cheers!