‘Hit the bottle’ to prevent dementia
Drinking alcohol can often hinder our memory; but this latest study will most likely surprise you with its findings.
Scientists have found that pensioners aged 75 or over who enjoy a daily glass of wine are less likely to develop dementia.
Those who drink alcohol are 30% less likely to develop the disease which impairs a person’s memory.
The study also found that about 40% are less likely to suffer Alzheimer’s than those who are non-drinkers.
A study of more than 3,200 German people aged 75 or over, who were free of dementia, were studied and checked by their GPs 18 months and three years later.
But before people pick up the bottle to pour their next drink, it is important that alcohol consumption be in moderate doses.
“People should be aware that we are talking about mild/moderate consumption of alcohol,” said Professor Siegfried Weyerer from the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany.
“There is no doubt long-term alcohol abuse is detrimental to memory function and can cause neurodegenerative disease.”
Of the volunteers free of dementia at the start, 217 went on to suffer from it later on.
No significant differences were seen according to the type of alcoholic beverage consumed.
“Overall, these results are similar to several previous studies in the very elderly and suggest that moderate drinking is associated with less dementia, even among individuals aged 75 and older,” Professor Weyerer said.
In the last 31 years the association between moderate alcohol intake and cognitive function has been investigated in 71 studies.
Most studies showed an association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and better cognitive function and a reduced risk of dementia.
Dr Harvey Finkel, of Boston University Medical Centre in the United States, said “the badge of age is not a warning label of fragility”.
“Elderly folks handle alcohol with more responsibility than do the young, and they may derive greater health benefits from moderate drinking. Age is not a reason for abstinence,” he said.
Are you surprised by this study’s findings? Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
