How drinking affects your dementia risk – and what studies say about moderate alcohol use
Researchers are still investigating what alcohol does to the brain, and what (if any) amount is safe.
Alcohol consumption has been a subject of interest in relation to dementia risk, with researchers still investigating the effects of alcohol on the brain. A 2003 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that individuals who consumed two or more alcoholic beverages per day had a 22% increased risk of dementia, while those who drank less than that had up to a 54% lower risk compared to non-drinkers.
However, a more recent consensus among experts is that the health benefits attributed to moderate alcohol consumption are likely a result of other lifestyle factors, rather than the alcohol itself. Heavy drinking can damage the brain and increase the risk of dementia through various mechanisms, such as inducing oxidative stress, disrupting the brain's immune system, triggering inflammation, contributing to high blood pressure and stroke, and negatively impacting overall health habits.
Light-to-moderate drinking has been associated with a lower dementia risk, but the evidence for this relationship is not conclusive. Some studies have even suggested that even minimal alcohol consumption may be linked to cognitive decline, including language abilities and brain volume. Despite the mixed findings, many researchers believe there is a linear relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive decline risk.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
