Moderate Drinking links to Reduced Risk of Dementia, Study Finds
Date:2018-11-30 click:0
In general, people seldom associate drinking with healthy lifestyle. However, a new study suggests that moderate drinking may link to a reduced risk of dementia in seniors. It was found by experts from University of California, San Diego. The authors of the study also stresses that the findings shouldn't be interpreted as a signal to drink freely. The study only found a link between moderate alcohol consumption and mental sharpness, not a cause-and-effect link.
Most of people don’t know the definition of moderate drinking, in fact, it is defined as up to one alcoholic beverage a day for adult women of any age and men 65 and older, and up to two drinks a day for men under 65.
According to the study in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, among men and women 85 and older, those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol five to seven days a week were twice as likely to show no signs of dementia than non-drinkers.
The senior author Linda McEvoy, an professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine said that alcohol consumption is not only associated with reduced mortality, but also with greater chances of remaining cognitively healthy into older age.
The study also stressed that alcohol consumption is not responsible for reducing the risk of dementia, but moderate drinking may be part of a healthy lifestyle to maintain cognitive fitness in aging.
Except that, moderate drinking may also reduce other health risks, including heart disease, ischemic stroke and diabetes. Even so, the evidence about the health benefits of alcohol isn’t certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks. Therefore, experts also states that not everyone can drink moderately. For people who have health problems, alcohol may aggravate their conditions. For instance, drinking alcohol will make the symptoms worse for men with prostatitis as alcohol will irritate the bladder and prostate. Keep in mind that even moderate use isn't risk-free.
