Alcohol Can Slow the Onset of Dementia

One drink per day may reduce the onset of dementia in elderly people.

Having one drink per day may impede the progress of cognitive impairment for seniors. A study at the University of Bari, Italy, involving 1,445 people between the ages of 65 through 85, suggests that those who routinely drank one alcoholic beverage per day developed dementia and Alzheimer's disease at a slower rate than those who didn't. Of those in the drinking group, only 121 had developed mild cognitive impairment which included mild memory or mental problems.

trend while tracking participants in the the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging who were followed for three and a half years. It is still unclear how small alcohol consumption protects against dementia but researchers believe that it is possible that alcohol is good for circulation and may slow the hardening of arteries that supply the brain.

Despite this discovery, many experts believe that alcohol use alone won't stop the onset of dementia and that adopting a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and social stimulation is the best way of protecting yourself. Other studies have already shown that wine contains natural compounds that have an antioxidant effect, which is good for circulation. Alzheimer's organizations continue to investigate the possible benefits of fruit juice, red wine, and oily fish in efforts to determine ways to help offset the expected numbers of people who may develop dementia in the coming years. Moderate alcohol consumption (one or two glasses of wine, or other alchoholic drinks, per day) has shown a long and consistent association with a reduced risk of morbidity and mortality from a number of common chronic diseases. In addition to antioxidants in wine, stress reduction by alcohol, may be the common denominator behind these benefits.