Beer Drinking May Be Protective against Alzheimer's
While most people will agree that excessive
consumption of alcohol can have a detrimental effect on the brain, there
is less agreement regarding the effects of light or moderate drinking.
This includes concern and controversy surrounding the effects of
drinking on the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as
Alzheimer's (AD). This study investigated the association between
consumption of different alcoholic beverages -- beer, wine, and spirits
-- and one of the neuropathological signs of Alzheimer's disease,
β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation in the brain.
Researchers examined data from 125 males participating in the
Helsinki sudden death autopsy series, who at the time of death were 35
to 70 years old. Consumption of alcohol, Aβ aggregation in the brain,
and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype were assessed. Surviving relatives
answered a questionnaire used to gather the drinking history of the
deceased, and Aβ was observed by immunohistochemical staining of brain
sections.
Findings suggest that beer consumption may protect against Aβ aggregation in the brain. The amount of alcohol consumed was not linked with Aβ aggregation, and neither was spirit or wine consumption. Given that the development of dementia occurs over several years and even decades, the authors call for additional studies to identify early and mid-life factors that may stimulate or protect against Aβ aggregation.
Findings suggest that beer consumption may protect against Aβ aggregation in the brain. The amount of alcohol consumed was not linked with Aβ aggregation, and neither was spirit or wine consumption. Given that the development of dementia occurs over several years and even decades, the authors call for additional studies to identify early and mid-life factors that may stimulate or protect against Aβ aggregation.
Journal Reference: Eloise H. Kok, Toni T. Karppinen, Teemu Luoto, Irina Alafuzoff, Pekka J. Karhunen. Beer Drinking Associates with Lower Burden of Amyloid Beta Aggregation in the Brain: Helsinki Sudden Death Series. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,
Drinking 2 to 3 units of alcohol every day is linked to a reduced risk of death among people with early stage Alzheimer's disease
Drinking 2 to 3 units of alcohol every day is linked to a reduced risk of death among people with early stage Alzheimer's disease, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Moderate drinking has been associated with a lower risk of developing and dying from heart disease and stroke. But alcohol is known to damage brain cells, and given that dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder, drinking might be harmful in those with the condition.
The researchers therefore wanted to find out if the same potentially positive association between alcohol and a reduced risk of cardiovascular death could be applied to 321 people with early stage Alzheimer's disease, defined as a score of 20 or less on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE).
The research team analysed data originally collected on 330 people with early stage dementia or Alzheimer's disease and their primary carers from across Denmark as part of the Danish Alzheimer's Intervention Study (DAISY).
DAISY set out to assess the impact of a 12 month programme of psychosocial counselling and support, and tracked progress for three years afterwards, accumulating a considerable amount of data.
This included information on how much alcohol people with early stage dementia or Alzheimer's drank every day. Around one in 10 (8%) drank no alcohol and at the other end of the scale, around one in 20 (4%) drank more than 3 units daily.
Most of the sample (71%) drank 1 or fewer units a day; 17% drank 2-3 units.
During the monitoring period, 53 (16.5%) of those with mild Alzheimer's disease died. Consumption of 2-3 units of alcohol every day was associated with a 77% lowered risk of death compared with a tally of 1 or fewer daily units.
There was no significant difference in death rates among those drinking no alcohol or more than 3 units every day compared with those drinking 1 or fewer daily units.
These results held true after taking account of influential factors: gender, age, other underlying conditions, whether the individual lived alone or with their primary carer, educational attainment, smoking, quality of life, and MMSE result.
The researchers say there could be several explanations for the findings, including that people who drink moderately have a richer social network, which has been linked to improved quality, and possibly length, of life.
Another explanation may lie in the fact that the seemingly protective effect of alcohol may have been caused by reverse causality, whereby those drinking very little alcohol were in the terminal phase of their life, which would have artificially inflated the positive association.
In a bid to correct for this, the researchers re-analysed the data, omitting the first year of monitoring. But this made no difference to the findings.
"The results of our study point towards a potential, positive association of moderate alcohol consumption on mortality in patients with Alzheimer's disease. However, we cannot solely, on the basis of this study, either encourage or advise against moderate alcohol consumption in [these] patients," they caution.
They suggest that further research looking at the impact of alcohol on cognitive decline and disease progression in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease would be particularly informative.
Resveratrol (red wine) may help prevent age-related decline in memory
A compound found in common foods such as red grapes and peanuts may help prevent age-related decline in memory, according to new research published by a faculty member in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.
Ashok K. Shetty, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine and Director of Neurosciences at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, has been studying the potential benefit of resveratrol, an antioxidant that is found in the skin of red grapes, as well as in red wine, peanuts and some berries.
Resveratrol has been widely touted for its potential to prevent heart disease, but Shetty and a team that includes other researchers from the health science center believe it also has positive effects on the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is critical to functions such as memory, learning and mood.
Because both humans and animals show a decline in cognitive capacity after middle age, the findings may have implications for treating memory loss in the elderly. Resveratrol may even be able to help people afflicted with severe neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
In a study published online Jan. 28, 2015 in Scientific Reports, Shetty and his research team members reported that treatment with resveratrol had apparent benefits in terms of learning, memory and mood function in aged rats.
"The results of the study were striking," Shetty said. "They indicated that for the control rats who did not receive resveratrol, spatial learning ability was largely maintained but ability to make new spatial memories significantly declined between 22 and 25 months. By contrast, both spatial learning and memory improved in the resveratrol-treated rats."
Shetty said neurogenesis (the growth and development of neurons) approximately doubled in the rats given resveratrol compared to the control rats. The resveratrol-treated rats also had significantly improved microvasculature, indicating improved blood flow, and had a lower level of chronic inflammation in the hippocampus.
"The study provides novel evidence that resveratrol treatment in late middle age can help improve memory and mood function in old age," Shetty said.
Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption: 35-45% lower risk of cognitive decline or dementia
Alzheimer's
disease (AD) and other types of dementia are most common in the very elderly,
and are associated with huge health costs. With a rapidly ageing population
throughout the world, factors that affect the risk of cognitive decline and
dementia are of great importance. A review paper published in Psychiatry Investig 2012;9:8-16 on the
association between alcohol consumption and cognition in the elderly provides
an excellent summary of the potential ways in which alcohol may affect
cognitive function and the risk of dementia, both adversely and favourably as
alcohol may have both a neuro toxic and neuro protective effect, depending on
the dose and drinking pattern. Longitudinal and brain imaging studies in the
elderly show that excessive alcohol consumption may increase the risk of
cognitive dysfunction and dementia, but regular low to moderate alcohol intake
may protect against cognitive decline and dementia and provide cardiovascular
benefits.
Studies
published from 1971 to 2011 related to alcohol and cognition in the elderly
were reviewed using a PubMed search. At present, there are no proven agents to
prevent cognitive decline or dementia, although a number of prospective
epidemiologic studies have shown a lower risk of such conditions among light to
moderate drinkers in comparison with non-drinkers. Other studies have found
that beneficial effects are seen only among certain sub-groups of subjects. A
recent meta-analysis by Peters et al of subjects over the age of 65 in
longitudinal studies concluded that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, in
comparison with abstinence, was associated with approximately 35-45% lower risk
of cognitive decline or dementia.
This paper
provides a summary of what is known about the mechanisms by which alcohol
consumption, especially heavy drinking, can be neurotoxic, and how
light-to-moderate drinking may help protect against cognitive decline and
dementia. The authors state that their intent is to determine if there is an
"optimal pattern of drinking" that may protect the elderly against
such conditions.
At present, the
mechanisms by which the moderate intake of wine and other alcoholic beverages
reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases are much better defined than they
are for cognition. Forum members agree with the authors that further research
is needed to evaluate a potential role that alcohol may play in reducing the risk
of dementia.
Forum members
also agree that, at present, the specific mechanisms of such putative
protection are not well defined, and it would be premature to recommend
light-to-moderate drinking for reducing the risk of dementia. On the other
hand, current biomedical data supports the concept that regular, moderate
intake of ethanol is not simply less dangerous for cognitive function, but is
positively protective. This is the same conclusion reached by epidemiologic
studies."
Moderate drinking protects against Alzheimer's
and cognitive impairment
Moderate social
drinking significantly reduces the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment,
according to an analysis of 143 studies by Loyola University Chicago Stritch
School of Medicine researchers.
Researchers
reviewed studies dating to 1977 that included more than 365,000 participants.
Moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment
or Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
Wine was more
beneficial than beer or spirits. But this finding was based on a relatively
small number of studies, because most papers did not distinguish among
different types of alcohol.
Results are
reported in the journal Neuropsychiatric
Disease and Treatment. The authors are Edward J. Neafsey, PhD. and Michael
A. Collins, PhD., professors in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and
Therapeutics.
Heavy drinking
(more than 3 to 5 drinks per day) was associated with a higher risk of
cognitive impairment and dementia, but this finding was not statistically
significant.
"We don't
recommend that nondrinkers start drinking," Neafsey said. "But
moderate drinking -- if it is truly moderate -- can be beneficial."
Moderate drinking is defined as a maximum of two drinks per day for men and 1
drink per day for women.
Among the
studies reviewed, 74 papers calculated the ratios of risk between drinkers and
non-drinkers, while 69 papers simply stated whether cognition in drinkers was
better, the same or worse than cognition in nondrinkers. Neafsey and Collins
did a meta-analysis of the studies that calculated risk ratios and found that
moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop dementia or cognitive
decline.
Other findings:
- The protective effect of moderate
drinking held up after adjusting for age, education, sex and smoking.
- There was no difference in the
effects of alcohol on men and women.
- The beneficial effect of moderate
drinking was seen in 14 of 19 countries, including the United States. In 3
of the remaining 5 countries, researchers also found a benefit, but it was
not strong enough to be statistically significant.
- The findings were similar across
different types of studies (longitudinal cohort studies, case-control
studies and cross-sectional studies).
It is unknown
why moderate drinking can have a beneficial effect. One theory suggests that
the well-known cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, such as
raising good HDL cholesterol, also can improve blood flow in the brain and thus
brain metabolism.
A second possible
explanation involves "sick quitters." According to this theory,
nondrinkers have a higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia because the
group includes former heavy drinkers who damaged their brain cells before
quitting. But the analysis by Neafsey and Collins did not support this
explanation. They found that in studies that excluded former heavy drinkers,
the protective effect of moderate drinking still held up.
Neafsey and
Collins suggest a third possible explanation: Small amounts of alcohol might,
in effect, make brain cells more fit. Alcohol in moderate amounts stresses
cells and thus toughens them up to cope with major stresses down the road that
could cause dementia.
For people who
drink responsibly and in moderation, there's probably no reason to quit. But
because of the potential for alcohol to be abused, Neafsey and Collins do not
recommend that abstainers begin drinking.
The researchers
note that there are other things besides moderate drinking that can reduce the
risk of dementia, including exercise, education and a Mediterranean diet high
in fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, nuts and seeds. Even gardening has been
shown to reduce the risk of dementia.
Alcohol consumption helps stave off dementia
Experts agree
that long-term alcohol abuse is detrimental to memory function and can cause
neuro-degenerative disease. However, according to a study published in Age and Ageing by Oxford University
Press , there is evidence that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption may
decrease the risk of cognitive decline or dementia.
Estimates from
various studies have suggested the prevalence of alcohol-related dementia to be
about 10% of all cases of dementia. Now researchers have found after analyzing
23 longitudinal studies of subjects aged 65 years and older that the impact of
small amounts of alcohol was associated with lower incidence rates of overall
dementia and Alzheimer dementia, but not of vascular dementia and cognitive
decline. It is still an open question whether different alcoholic beverages,
such as beer, wine, and spirits, all have a similar effect. Some studies have
shown a positive effect of wine only, which may be due either to the level of
ethanol, the complex mixture that comprises wine, or to the healthier
life-style ascribed to wine drinkers.
A total of 3,327
patients were interviewed in their homes by trained investigators (physicians,
psychologists, gerontologists) and reassessed one and a half years and three
years later. Information on the cognitive status of those who had died in the
interim was collected from family members, caregivers or primary care
physicians.
Among the 3,327
patients interviewed at baseline, 84.8% (n=2,820) could be personally
interviewed one and a half years later and 73.9% (n=2,460) three years later.
For the vast majority of subjects who could not be personally interviewed,
systematic assessments (follow-up 1: 482; follow-up 2: 336) focusing
particularly on dementia could be obtained from GPs, relatives or caregivers.
Within three years, follow-up assessments were unavailable for only 49 subjects
(1.5%). Proxy information could be obtained for 98.0% (n=295) of the 301
patients who had died in the interim. Since dementia is associated with a
higher mortality rate, proxy information is particularly important in order to
avoid underestimation of incident dementia cases.
At baseline
there were 3,202 persons without dementia. Alcohol consumption information was
available for 3,180 subjects:
- 50.0% were abstinent
- 24.8% consumed less than one drink
(10 grams of alcohol) per day
- 12.8% consumed 10-19 grams of
alcohol per day
- 12.4% consumed 20 or more grams per
day
- A small subgroup of 25 participants
fulfilled the criteria of harmful drinking (>60 grams of alcohol per
day for men, respectively >40 grams for women)
- One man (>120 grams of alcohol
per day) and one woman (>80 grams of alcohol per day) reported an
extremely high consumption of alcohol
- Among the consumers of alcohol
almost half (48.6%) drank wine only
- 29.0% drank beer only
- 22.4% drank mixed alcohol beverages
(wine, beer, or spirits)
- Alcohol consumption was
significantly associated with male gender, younger age, higher level of
education, not living alone, and not being depressed.
The calculation
of incident cases of dementia is based on 3,202 subjects who had no dementia at
baseline. Within the follow-up period of three years:
217 cases of
dementia (6.8%) were diagnosed, whereby 111 subjects (3.5%) suffered from
Alzheimer dementia. Due to the relatively small numbers, other subgroups of
dementia (vascular dementia: n=42; other specific dementia, e.g. dementia in
Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, alcohol dementia: n=14; dementia with
unknown aetiology: n=50) were not considered in the following analyses.
Univariate and
multivariate analyses revealed that alcohol consumption was significantly
associated with a lower incidence of overall dementia and Alzheimer dementia.
In line with a large-scale study also based on GP attenders aged 75 years and
older, the study found that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was
associated with relatively good physical and mental health. This three-year
follow-up study included, at baseline, only those subjects 75 years of age and
older, the mean age was 80.2 years, much higher than that in most other studies.
Alcohol Abstinence = Increased Risk of Cognitive Impairment
Previous
research regarding the association between alcohol consumption and dementia or
cognitive impairment in later life suggests that mild to moderate alcohol
consumption might be protective of dementia. However, most of the research has
been conducted on subjects already rather elderly at the start of the
follow-up.
A study
published in the December, 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease addresses this problem with a
follow-up of more than two decades.
The study,
conducted at the University of Turku, University of Helsinki and National
Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland based on subjects from the Finnish
Twin Cohort, shows that midlife alcohol consumption is related to the risk of
dementia assessed some 20 years later. The study indicates that both abstainers
and subjects consuming large amounts of alcohol have a greater risk for
cognitive impairment than light drinkers.
"Our
finding is significant as the changes typical of Alzheimer's disease -- the
most common dementia syndrome -- are thought to start appearing two to three
decades before clinical manifestation and therefore identification of early
risk factors is imperative," states Jyri Virta, researcher at University
of Turku, Finland.
In addition to
total alcohol consumption, the authors were able to assess the effects of
different drinking patterns. The study suggests that drinking large amounts of
alcohol (defined as a bottle of wine or the equivalent) at a single occasion at
least monthly is an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment. Such
binge drinking doubles the risk of cognitive impairment even when total alcohol
consumption was statistically controlled for.
Similarly,
passing out because of heavy drinking on one occasion was also found to
increase the development of subsequent cognitive impairment. Thus, it is not
only the amount of alcohol, but also the pattern by which alcohol is consumed
that affect the risk of cognitive impairment. The published study is among the
first to report these effects.
Moderate drinking, especially wine, associated
with better cognitive function
A large
prospective study of 5033 men and women in the Tromsø Study in northern Norway
has reported that moderate wine consumption is independently associated with
better performance on cognitive tests. The subjects (average age 58 and free of
stroke) were followed over 7 years during which they were tested with a range
of cognitive function tests. Among women, there was a lower risk of a poor
testing score for those who consumed wine at least 4 or more times over two
weeks in comparison with those who drink < 1 time during this period The
expected associations between other risk factors for poor cognitive functioning
were seen, i.e. lower testing scores among people who were older, less
educated, smokers, and those with depression, diabetes, or hypertension.
It has long been
known that "moderate people do moderate things." The authors state
the same thing: "A positive effect of wine . . . could also be due to
confounders such as socio-economic status and more favourable dietary and other
lifestyle habits.
The authors also
reported that not drinking was associated with significantly lower cognitive
performance in women. As noted by the authors, in any observational study there
is the possibility of other lifestyle habits affecting cognitive function, and
the present study was not able to adjust for certain ones (such as diet,
income, or profession) but did adjust for age, education, weight, depression,
and cardiovascular disease as its major risk factors.
The results of
this study support findings from previous research on the topic: In the last
three decades, the association between moderate alcohol intake and cognitive
function has been investigated in 68 studies comprising 145,308 men and women
from various populations with various drinking patterns. Most studies show an
association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and better cognitive
function and reduced risk of dementia, including both vascular dementia and
Alzheimer's Disease.
Such effects
could relate to the presence in wine of a number of polyphenols (antioxidants)
and other micro elements that may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline
with ageing. Mechanisms that have been suggested for alcohol itself being
protective against cognitive decline include effects on atherosclerosis (
hardening of the arteries), coagulation ( thickening of the blood and
clotting), and reducing inflammation ( of artery walls, improving blood flow).
Moderate alcohol intake has cognitive benefits
A glass of wine
here, a nightcap there –research out of Wake Forest University School of
Medicine suggests that moderate alcohol intake offers long-term cognitive
protection and reduces the risk of dementia in older adults.
The study was
presented at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on
Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD), in Vienna.
While previous
studies have shown that moderate alcohol intake, particularly wine, is linked
with lower risk of heart attacks and dementia, most of the studies have been
done in middle-aged people, and it has remained unclear if the benefits of
alcohol also apply to older adults in general or to older adults who might
already have some mild memory problems. This is the largest, longest U.S. study
to look at the effects of regular alcohol intake on dementia in seniors, both
with and without memory problems.
"As of yet,
we still have no cure for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, so it is
important to look for things that might help people prevent the disease,"
said Kaycee Sink, M.D., M.A.S (Masters of Advanced Studies in clinical
research), a geriatrician and senior author of the paper. Moderate alcohol
intake has been linked to lower risk of heart attacks, stroke, dementia, and
death in middle-aged adults, but there is still controversy about alcohol
intake in older adults."
For the study,
researchers began by examining and interviewing 3,069 individuals, 75 years or
older and most without any memory or thinking problems, about their drinking
habits. Participants were asked about beer, wine, and liquor. The investigators
then categorized the individuals as abstainers (non-drinkers), light drinkers
(one to seven drinks per week), moderate drinkers (eight to 14 drinks per
week), or heavy drinkers (more than 14 drinks per week). All types of alcohol
were included.
The study
subjects were then examined and interviewed every six months for six years to
determine changes in their memory or thinking abilities and to monitor who
developed dementia.
Researchers
found that individuals who had no cognitive impairment at the start of the
study and drank eight to 14 alcoholic beverages per week, or one to two per
day, experienced an average 37 percent reduction in risk of developing dementia
compared to individuals who did not drink at all and were classified as
abstainers. The type of alcohol consumed did not matter.
For older adults
who started the study with mild cognitive impairment, however, consumption of
alcohol, at any amount, was associated with faster rates of cognitive decline.
In addition, those who were classified in the heavy drinker category, consuming
more than 14 drinks per week, were almost twice as likely to develop dementia
during the study compared to non-drinkers with mild cognitive impairment.
"We were
excited to see that even in older adults, moderate alcohol intake decreases the
risk of dementia," Sink said. "It is important to note, however, that
our study found a significantly higher risk of dementia for heavy drinkers who
started the study with mild cognitive impairment."
The results are
consistent with previous studies of middle-aged adults that suggest mild to
moderate alcohol intake may reduce the risk of dementia, except in the case of
individuals who already have mild to moderate cognitive impairment. The
researchers' findings support current recommendations not to exceed one drink
per day for women and two for men.
It is unclear
from this study whether an abstainer who begins drinking moderately in his/her
70s will experience the same benefit or if the benefit is associated with a
long pattern of moderate alcohol intake that continues on into old age.
"Our
results suggest that older adults who are normal cognitively and drink
moderately do not need to change their drinking behavior," Sink said.
"If you have mild cognitive impairment however, it might benefit you to
restrict your drinking and certainly not exceed one drink a day for women and
two drinks a day for men.
"The
participants in this study self-reported their alcohol intake at the start, but
it is unusual for people to start drinking in their 70s, so we assume that the
habits they reported at the start of the study reflect stable drinking
habits," Sink added. "Without scientific data showing that it is
beneficial, I wouldn't recommend that non-drinkers start drinking in their 70s.
"We are
starting to make progress in understanding how to prevent and treat Alzheimer's
and other dementias," she said. "It is a very exciting time to be
involved in geriatrics research."
Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of
Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss
Moderate
drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive
loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies.
In more than
half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer
and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers. In only a few studies
were there increased risks.
"Alcohol is
a two-edged sword," said Michael Collins, Ph.D., a professor and
neuroscientist at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and lead
author of the refereed report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "Too much is
bad. But a little might actually be helpful."
Moderate alcohol
consumption generally is defined as 1 drink or less per day for women and 1-2
drinks or less per day for men.
The article was
published in the February 2009 issue of the journal.
"The
pathological damage and vast social havoc from addiction to and abuse of
alcohol are well known, and of necessity should continue to receive primary
attention by doctors, scientific researchers and health professionals,"
Collins and colleagues write. "However, light-to-moderate responsible
alcohol consumption "appears to carry certain health benefits."
Long-term
alcohol abuse can cause memory loss and impair cognitive function. It's unknown
why moderate alcohol use appears to have the opposite effect. One theory is
that the well-known cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol consumption
also can reduce the risk of mini strokes that cause dementia.
Collins and
another Loyola professor, neuroscientist Edward Neafsey, Ph.D., suggest a
second possible explanation. Small amounts of alcohol might, in effect, make
brain cells more fit. Alcohol in moderate levels stresses cells and thus
toughens them up to cope with major stresses down the road that could cause
dementia.
For most people
who drink responsibly and in moderation, there's probably no reason to quit.
But because of the potential for alcohol to be abused, Collins and Neafsey do
not recommend that abstainers begin drinking. The researchers note there are
other things besides moderate drinking that can reduce the risk of dementia,
including exercise, green tea, education and a Mediterranean diet high in
fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, nuts and seeds.
Red wine again linked to slowing Alzheimer's
A Mount Sinai
School of Medicine study found giving mice with amyloid plaques red wine slows
their memory loss and brain cell death - adding to a body of science linking
compounds in the beverage to slowing the Alzheimer's disease-related symptom.
In the study -
published in Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology Journal - wine-drinking mice learned to
escape from a maze significantly faster than mice drinking alcohol-spiked water
or water.
The results
could have implications for formulators in the production of supplements for
age-related conditions.
According to the
Alzheimers Society, there are nearly 18 million people in the world with
dementia. Around 55 percent of those who suffer from dementia have Alzheimer's.
In the Mount
Sinai study, the mice's wine intake was aligned to what is the equivalent of
moderate consumption in humans - a five-ounce glass per day for women and two
for men.
In the past,
both alcohol and a red wine compound, resveratrol, have been linked to a
reduction in the onset of dementia.
For several
months, the Mount Sinai mice were given cabernet sauvignon or ethanol in their
drinking water, while another group of mice drank plain water. All the mice had
amyloid plaques in their brains that occur in humans with Alzheimer's disease.
The research
team, led by Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti, assessed the mice's memory by testing
their ability to get out of a maze. The wine-drinking mice were able to exit
the maze significantly faster than those drinking alcohol-spiked water or water
only, the scientists found.
The study only
advocates moderate red wine consumption as part of an overall healthy
lifestyle.
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