Study: a can of beer or a couple of glasses of wine a day can delay dementia

Restricted alcohol consumption reduces the likelihood of developing dementia, according to a new South Korean study of nearly 4 million people. Job published in JAMA Network Open magazine.

The study examined people's data from the database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service. (NHIS), which conducts a free examination twice a year for insured people aged 40 and older. In addition to various tests and analyses, people are questioned about alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise.

By measuring alcohol consumption at two time points, researchers were able to study the relationship between reducing, stopping, maintaining, and increasing alcohol consumption and the onset of dementia in future.

After adjusting for age, gender, smoking, physical activity levels, and other demographic factors, the researchers found an interesting correlation.

• People who drank in moderation - a pint of beer, glass of wine or a glass of strong a day - were 21% less likely to develop dementia than those who did not drink at all.
• And people who drank twice as much — a couple of pints of beer, two glasses of wine or two shots a day — were 17% less likely to develop dementia.
• The picture turned out to be the opposite as alcohol consumption increased. The study found that people who drank three times as much were 8% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
• If heavy drinkers reduced their alcohol consumption to moderate levels over time, their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease was reduced by 12%, and their risk of dementia from all causes was reduced by 8%.

But don't rush to the liquor store, experts say. It is important not to overestimate these results, because alcohol consumption It has been and remains a risk factor for the development of various types of cancer, and also leads to problems with the digestion, heart, liver and immune system.

The results regarding moderate drinking cannot be directly translated into clinical guidelines and require more research, the scientist added.