Moderate alcohol consumption may help seniors keep disabilities at bay.

Good news for those of us over 65, a new UCLA study, available in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that light to moderate drinking among seniors reduced their odds of developing physical problems that would prevent them from performing common tasks such as walking, dressing and grooming. "If you start out in good health, alcohol consumption at light to moderate levels can be beneficial," said lead study author Dr. Arun Karlamangla, an associate professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "But if you don't start out healthy, alcohol will not give you a benefit."