Drinking two pints a day may help combat the effects of dementia, according to a recent study.
Australian researchers looked into the correlation between drinking habits and dementia rates among 25,000 over-60s.
Dementia is a destructive set of symptoms associated with brain decline. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not a direct result of ageing. This means there are ways to reduce the risk. With that in mind, a new study, published in the journal Addiction has arrived at a surprising conclusion: drinking beer may help.
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Results showed those who drink two pints a day are less likely to develop dementia. Despite their findings, experts warned that consuming excess amounts can still have lasting damage to your health. To arrive at this conclusion, the team, from the University of New South Wales, gathered data from 15 old studies, the Express reported.
They contained data on the alcohol drinking habits and dementia rates of 24,478 over-60s. The cohort was divided into non-drinkers, occasional drinkers (1.3g of ethanol per day), light to moderate drinkers (1.3g to 25g per day), moderate to heavy drinkers (25g to 45g per day) and heavy drinkers (more than 45g per day).
To put the numbers into perspective, one pint of beer contains around 16 grams of ethanol, while a medium-sized glass of wine has around 18g. None of the participants — who were followed for up to 40 years — had dementia at the start of the study.
Over the course of the study, 2,124 people were diagnosed with dementia. When compared to abstainers, occasional and light to moderate drinkers were 22% less likely to develop the condition.
And those who consumed up to two-and-a-half pints a day had a 38% reduced risk of being diagnosed compared to non-drinkers.
Even the biggest drinkers were 19% less likely to be a dementia sufferer than those who didn't consume alcohol. When the researchers probed deeper into the association, drinking 40g of ethanol per day — the equivalent to five units — was linked with a lower risk of dementia compared to those who had never had a tipple.
There are limitations to the study that need flagging. The researchers said their data was robust and shows the impact of alcohol drinking on dementia rates worldwide. However, they noted that alcohol intake was self-reported by participants — who are prone to underestimate their drinking.
And the type of alcohol consumed was not logged. Some studies have found that only certain drinks — such as wine — may protect against dementia. Meanwhile, the data included few excessive alcohol drinkers, who are thought to be at most risk from dementia.
To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, the NHS advises both men and women avoid regularly drinking more than 14 units a week. Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most days and weeks.
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