177: hoping for a long and happy life

I had to post this story today, as I know that many of you were hoping for a story about the benefits of drinking alcohol (!) following those about drinking coffee (post 174) and green tea (post 175). Well, today I found this interesting piece in the UK's Independent newspaper, about the large number of French citizens now living to the age of 100 or more. Though the populations of the two countries are similar in size, there are around 20,000 centenarians in France compared to about 11,000 in Britain. It is thought that climate and high-quality accessible healthcare may have something to do with this longevity, but experts believe the typical French diet - higher in olive oil, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables than the typical British and US diets - and the benefits of drinking red wine are important factors. So, if you hope to live a long and happy life, enjoying red wine with a leisurely, healthy meal may be a good place to start. Doesn't sound too challenging, does it?