When Florence Bearse celebrated her 100th birthday last year, people were happy to take her advice on living a long life – indulge in some good wine.
It’s pretty tough to keep up with all the so-called scientific research on wine. People have been fermenting grapes for thousands of years, so we know that – at least in moderation – it can be good for you.
Originally from Massachusetts, Florence spent most of her life in Bangor, Maine. She highly recommends her adopted home where, for many years, she ran a restaurant.
Surrounded by friends, family, and former customers at her 100th birthday party, she was mobile, alert, and funny – she certainly doesn’t look like she’s been around for a century!
And while she’s serious about having her wine, she’s not interested in being a connoisseur. She’s happy to drink out of painted glasses filled to the brim. As she told local television station WLBZ: “I like my wine! Don’t take it away from me.”
Needless to say, we don’t think anyone is lining up to cut her off.
Her friends seem to understand just how much she enjoys her daily tipple AND her sweets, gifting her with novelty wine glasses full of candy, which she pretended to drink from while posing for photos.
It’s no wonder Bearse was surrounded by so many loved ones at her party – as a restaurant owner, she saw her purpose in life as serving others, but with a bit of flair. “They understand me. That I’m crazy,” she joked.
While she’s currently a resident at the Westgate Center for Rehabilitation in Maine, she seemed to be in excellent health and spirits, making faces, laughing with friends, doing little dances, and indulging in birthday cake throughout the afternoon.
She’s clearly doing something right to be surrounded by laughter and loved ones, regaled with flowers and gifts, and attracting a news crew for her birthday gathering!
Perhaps it’s her love of red wine, specifically, that keeps her so plucky – red wines contain a compound called resveratrol, which has been reported to have anti-aging benefits.
While a large 2017 study looking at alcohol and heart health found that moderate drinking could protect against heart attacks, strokes, and fatal heart disease, more research is needed.
It’s not clear if the benefits seen from drinking in moderation are simply correlation – a coincidence or pattern – or if something in alcohol truly changes the body’s ability to age well and prevent certain types of diseases.
If you’re not willing to take the risk, Bearse has some more advice for living a good, long life. Looking directly into the camera and with great passion, she exclaimed: “Don’t take any baloney!”
Bottoms up, Florence!
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