Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Moderate Drinking Protects Against Dementia and Alzheimer's Dementia

I always knew that beer drinking was smart idea; now science backs it up. German researchers studied over 3,000 pensioners (greater than 75years of age) for three years. They were questioned about their alcohol consumption and their cognitive abilities were assessed. What the researchers found was that mild to moderate alcohol consumption significantly reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. A 29% decrease in overall dementia and a 42% decrease in Alzheimer's dementia was noted. The type of alcohol consumed (beer, wine or mixed) did not matter. The reason for these finding could be due to alcohol's favourable effects on the body: increased good cholesterol, slight thinning of the blood and improved insulin sensitivity. Mild to moderate alcohol consumption was defined as 20-29g of ethanol a day. That works out to be about 2 standard beers a day.
Cheers, may you never forget what you were toasting.

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