Alcohol 'may reduce dementia risk'
Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to relatively good mental health – and may decrease the risk of cognitive decline or dementia.
New research comes just a week after scientists concluded an alcoholic drink a day can help protect the heart, too.
A study published in Age and Ageing by Oxford University Press found the impact of small amounts of alcohol was associated with lower incidence rates of overall dementia and Alzheimer dementia.
The team now want to know 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 or to the healthier lifestyle associated with wine drinkers. For example, wine drinkers are more likely to consume their recommended levels of fruit and vegetables.
The research found that light-to-moderate alcohol use was associated with all-round good physical and mental health, the researchers added.
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Tags:
- age and ageing ,
- alcohol ,
- channel_one ,
- dementia ,
- health ,
- heart ,
- wellbeing
