WP,pg1: Daily Drink Helps Keep Brain Sharp, Data Suggest (new study)

[DeepModem Mom]

Daily Drink Helps Keep Brain Sharp, Data Suggest

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 20, 2005; Page A01


Women who imbibe a little wine, beer or even spirits every day are less likely than teetotalers to see their memories and other thinking powers fade as they age, according to the largest study to assess alcohol's impact on the brain.

The study of more than 12,000 elderly women found that those who consumed light to moderate amounts of alcohol daily had about a 20 percent lower risk of experiencing problems with their mental abilities later in life.

"Low levels of alcohol appear to have cognitive benefits," said Francine Grodstein of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, senior author on the study, published in today's New England Journal of Medicine. "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," Grodstein said.

While the study involved only women, the findings probably hold true for men, although previous research indicates that men seem to benefit from drinking slightly more -- one to two drinks per day, researchers said.

The findings provide the latest evidence that indulging in alcohol, long vilified as part of an insalubrious lifestyle, can actually help people live longer, healthier lives. While heavy drinking clearly causes serious problems for many people, recent research has found that drinking in moderation protects the heart. A few small studies have similarly suggested that alcohol may help the brain. The new study is by far the largest and most detailed to examine that question....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21693-2005Jan19.html

[Der Blaue Engel]

1. Hot damn!

:beer:

[UL_Approved]

2. Alcohol: the cure for what ails you

What will they think of next, a cure for cancer? I have to say that proper diet and exercise should be MUCH more important than having alcohol.

And now the conspiracy theorist in me says that this could be a scheme to get women dependent on alcohol. Three purposes are served:

1. Pander to special interests in the alcoholic beverage industry
2. Keep women barefoot and pregnant as well as chemically dependent
3. Ensure a new generation of people with less mental development (FAS)

Any takers?

:beer: --> :think:, or :beer: --> :dunce: (or :beer: --> :hangover:)?

[soothsayer]

19. I'll drink to that!

[rooboy]

3. Obviously George didn't only have one or two drinks a day. n/t

[eg101]

4. I do not believe it

Now, I tell you, I enjoy my wine and beer, but I do not drink it daily. I find it clouds my mind and makes me lazy.

I think this is just another one of the many bogus, phony studies paid for by the alcoholic beverage industry. I no longer trust any news related to studies that involve huge and profitable industries.

Wherever there is that kind of money, there is corruption....

[depakid]

5. Here's the abstract from the New England Journal of Medicine

This was not funded by the alcohol industry, but is instead an analysis of data from participants in a much larger, long term prospective cohort study called The Nurses Health Study.

Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Function in Women

ABSTRACT

Background The adverse effects of excess alcohol intake on cognitive function are well established, but the effect of moderate consumption is uncertain.

Methods Between 1995 and 2001, we evaluated cognitive function in 12,480 participants in the Nurses' Health Study who were 70 to 81 years old, with follow-up assessments in 11,102 two years later. The level of alcohol consumption was ascertained regularly beginning in 1980.

We calculated multivariate-adjusted mean cognitive scores and multivariate-adjusted risks of cognitive impairment (defined as the lowest 10 percent of the scores) and a substantial decline in cognitive function over time (defined as a change that was in the worst 10 percent of the distribution of the decline). We also stratified analyses according to the apolipoprotein E genotype in a subgroup of women. (A gene associated with Alzheimer's disease).

Results

After multivariate adjustment, moderate drinkers (those who consumed less than 15.0 g of alcohol per day ) had better mean cognitive scores than nondrinkers.

Among moderate drinkers, as compared with nondrinkers, the relative risk of impairment was 0.77 on our test of general cognition (95 percent confidence interval, 0.67 to 0.88) and 0.81 on the basis of a global cognitive score combining the results of all tests (95 percent confidence interval, 0.70 to 0.93).

The results for cognitive decline were similar; for example, on our test of general cognition, the relative risk of a substantial decline in performance over a two-year period was 0.85 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.74 to 0.98) among moderate drinkers, as compared with nondrinkers.

There were no significant associations between higher levels of drinking (15.0 to 30.0 g per day) and the risk of cognitive impairment or decline. There were no significant differences in risks according to the beverage (e.g., wine or beer) and no interaction with the apolipoprotein E genotype.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that in women, up to one drink per day does not impair cognitive function and may actually decrease the risk of cognitive decline.

Note to mods- what's copied and pasted is only 4 paragraphs on the NEJM site- I broke them up so they would be easier to read.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/352/3/245

[Carolab]

6. Thins the blood. n/t

[Igel]

29. One idea: alters cell membrane permeability. n/t

[bluedonkey]

7. This has been

a known fact in Europe for a few decades now.
Please note it said "in moderation" and "one or two drinks a day".
It doesn't mean an "big Gulp"!
Red wine is especially good for proper circulation and heart health.
Believe it or not.

[sportndandy]

8. And daily marijuana keeps me from strangling people.

I just get so angry sometimes...

[Cooley Hurd]

15. Jah's gift to mankind...

:smoke:

[LosinIt]

9. So red wine is good, but I have migraines & a recovering AA husband

Makes it kind of difficult for me. I should try the red wine anyway, because people in my family tend to live into their 90s and 100s. My theory is because we tend to have both low blood pressure and low body temperature. We're just living life at a slower pace, I guess.

[unblock]

10. i get migraines, too

i had four sips on passover when i was 13, had a WICKED migraine the next day, and haven't had a drop of alcohol since.

they always do these studies on red wine, high in grape skin (tannic acid). i wish they'd do a study on non-grape fermented drink, such as sake or vodka.

then again, i get migraines from ANYTHING fermented, including vinegar.

[Merlot]

31. Red wine and migraines are a bad combination

Usually I can drink red wine without problem, but every now and then it will trigger a migraine. If you're going to try red wine, don't get something cheap, the sediments cause headaches. I can't get near Charles Shaw ($2 per bottle) without getting a headache. Also avoid the cabernets, supposedly something in them is more likely to trigger headaches.

I don't care what this study says, every day is to much! Every other day would be better.

[orthogonal]

11. Oh, we'll all need at least a daily drink these next four years

Assuming theat the economy isn't so bad we can't afford to.

[Massachusetts]

12. Alcohol the CURE for 4 more years!

:toast:

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Interesting that the WP page-oned this story today!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. How much is a half a drink?

Half a yard of beer? :evilgrin:

Also, I have to wonder if those women who don't drink abstain because of the effect the alcohol has on their cognitive function. Maybe people who have a greater capacity for holding their liquor don't suffer as much cognitive degeneration.

[NorthernSpy]

16. "or even spirits"

Women who imbibe a little wine, beer or even spirits every day are less likely than teetotalers to see their memories and other thinking powers fade as they age, according to the largest study to assess alcohol's impact on the brain.

I love how they tremblingly acknowledge Demon Rum as worthy kin to the barley and the vine. I mean, wheesht -- the active ingredient in all three is the same; and in standard servings, it works out to roughly the same amount of ethanol, too. 1 beer = 1 glass of wine = 1 shot o' firewater.

Dunno whether drinking causes a person to stay sharp, exactly. I think I remember reading that the more exercise you give your mind (by reading, reasoning, solving, etc) the less likely you are to experience mental decline as you age. Perhaps people who are disinclined to exercise their thinking powers are -- for some reason -- also disinclined to drink.

But in case there is causation, shouldn't we have a public health campaign, just to be on the safe side? Who in our society is at risk for teetotalling? We have got to help those people before their brains decay any further. If we can identify them, then we can begin our outreach.


:beer:

[Heidi]

18. As an example . . .

QUOTE NorthernSpy: Perhaps people who are disinclined to exercise their thinking powers are -- for some reason -- also disinclined to drink.

Like extreme fundamentalist Christians? (Before ya'll slap me around, let me just say that I was raised Southern Baptist. But I'm in recovering nicely.)

[B3Nut]

22. Recovering fundie here too...

I'm still evangelical, but I've canned the inane legalisms. I enjoy alcohol in moderation...I'm especially fond of 50/50 mix of Amaretto di Saronno and Frangelico (mmmmmmm!), Kahlua & cream (yum) and Jim Beam & Coke. :D And what would life in Wisconsin be without beer? I dig my Spotted Cow, man! hehehehehehe

Red wine is very good. I got a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz from my boss's boss at Christmas, he gets everyone in his department a bottle. Good stuff, not too dry, doesn't give me a headache. I love capping off a day with a glass before bed...throw some nice jazz on the hi-fi....ahhhhh. :)

Todd in Beerbratistan

[Heidi]

25. Welcome, B3Nut . . .

From one "newbie" to another. I like Frangelico, too, and recently found that I can buy it here. Yum is right!

[0007]

17. One year its the heart and the next year its the brain! Give me a break!

How many folks can't stop at one drink, like me?

[w4rma]

20. What is the sociographic and demographic makeup of the group of folks

who drink small amounts of wine every day?

I have a hunch that the causes are not because of the wine but because of environmental effects shared by this (affluent? intellectual?) group of people.

[bdot]

21. Finally! Good news!

Since I don't drink I guess I'll lose my memories sooner. This means I can completely forget year 2000 through 2008. WooHoo!

[leesa]

23. The USSR made vodka really cheap so their populace could deal

with their oppressors.

[Selatius]

24. Alcohol in MODERATION is healthy

If you drink beer, it's like one can a day. If you drink wine, then it's like a cup or something a day. If you drink hard liquor, then a shot glass a day is fine. (No, you can't save them all up and wait till the end of the week and slam them all down in one sitting)

Regardless of the mental effects (the report seems to note positive effects), I've known now for several years that alcohol in moderation actually acts as a blood thinner, which can help prevent your arteries from getting clogged later on in life.

[priller]

26. Hmm, one to two drinks a day -- I'll take two!

In fact, I already do.

[Historic NY]

27. Interesting I'm only on my 2nd Rum & Coke & its 1020 am here..........

okay I will fess up I worked all night and now its playtime.

[jdonaldball]

28. On this inauguration day I think ten drinks will be healthy

[olddad56]

30. A couple of drinks while you watch Faux News is the ticket

[Megahurtz]

32. CHEERS to that!!!

:toast:

[proudbluestater]

33. Kool Aid, anyone?

[sendero]

34. As Tom Waits said....

.... "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy".