Why you should choose a pint over a coffee: Caffeine can shorten life expectancy - but alcohol lengthens it

• The substances influence the length of telomeres - the end parts of DNA


• Telomeres get shorter as a person ages, when they're too short, the cell dies


• Shorter telomeres are associated with poor health and an increased chance of premature death


• Caffeine was found to shorten telomeres, but alcohol lengthened them