By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben
One of my earliest memories is of my 80-year-old grandpa belting down two shots of rock gut whiskey every morning before breakfast to stave off the “gagas”, which was his pre-Lady, non-scientific descriptor for dementia. And now science seems to be proving his point. The latest research buzz is a little bit of booze may help fight Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the news from a published report in the Journal Age and Aging, which recorded the results from a three-year study of non-Alzheimer suffering, 75-year-old subjects. Of the 3,202 people studied, it was found those who drank alcohol were 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than their tea-totaling colleagues. And it doesn’t seem like the type of alcohol drank was relevant, although all the subjects were imbibing moderately.
More than likely, the benefits attributed to indulging in the sauce have less to do with alcohol and more to do with the effects. Namely stress reduction and relaxation. This conclusion is supported by additional research released this month at the Max Plank Institute of Psychiatry in Munich where scientists found that increased production of stress hormones in rats led to the generation of Alzheimer associated proteins and ultimately memory loss.
The bottom line? Lighten up and relax. It’s good for your health. And if you like a little bit of the drink on a daily basis, don’t worry about it. If someone gives you a hard time, just tell them you’re practicing your own version of Alzheimer Reduction Therapy!
