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,
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