1.20.2005
Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Reduce Chances of Memory Decline
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The operative word here is moderate. More later :-)
We're back...Drink a day helps alertness: study
January 21, 2005
OLDER woman might toast, "Here's to your mental health", after a study shows a drink a day can keep them alert.
"Low levels of alcohol appear to have cognitive benefits," said Francine Grodstein, a doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, who led the research.
The New England Journal of Medicine published a 10-year study of 12,480 women, aged 70 to 81.
Women who had a daily glass of wine, beer or spirits over at least four years showed a 20-per-cent reduced risk of severe decline in their mental faculties as they aged, according to the study, which said boosted blood flow to the brain appeared to be an important factor in the results.
"Women who consistently were drinking about one-half to one drink per day had both less cognitive impairment as well as less decline in their cognitive function compared to women who didn't drink at all," Dr Grodstein said.
Mental agility and memory performance in women who drank moderately was that of someone a year and a half younger, compared with their counterparts who did not drink, the study says.
