Moderate Drinking Can Reduce Dementia, Alzheimer’s Risk
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By IBTimes Staff Reporter | August 19, 2011 9:15 AM EDT
Moderate drinking of alcohol, or two or less glasses of wine or beer per day, can reduce dementia and Alzheimer's risk by 23 percent according to a new study.
After reviewing 143 studies, moderate alcohol consumption showed an overall 23 percent decrease of developing Alzheimer's disease or memory loss in the 365,000 participants from the 14 of 19 countries studied.
EnlargePhoto: REUTERS)
Moderate drinking of alcohol, or two or less glasses of wine or beer per day, can reduce dementia and Alzheimer's risk by 23 percent according t a new study.
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Moderate drinking, or one drink daily for women and two for men, is considered 1.5 ounces of spirits, 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer, according to WebMD.
While the exact reasons moderate alcohol consumption can lower the risk of Alzheimer's is unknown, researchers at Loyola University Medical Center believe the cause is attributed to alcohol's anti-inflammatory effects.
"Low levels of alcohol may have anti-inflammatory effects on the immune system, heart, and brain," Michael A. Collins, PhD, of Loyola University Medical Center said in a statement to WebMD. "This study is not the final word, but it does provide the most complete picture out there."
Neuroinflammation which occurs in both Alzheimer's and dementia can be deterred by moderate alcohol consumption. However, drinking heavily, considered 3-5 drinks per day, can actually cause neuroinflammation and memory problems, according to Collins, as it presents a cognitive risk for dementia.
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While the benefit was equal amongst both men and women, the study showed that wine consumption was a better choice to reduce the risk of dementia. However most studies reviewed did not distinguish the types of alcohol.
The findings published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment overall showed that moderate drinking did not impair cognition in younger subjects aged 18-50 and actually reduced the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's in participants over the age of 50.
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