Study Suggests Alcohol May Stave Off lAlzheimer’s Disease

For anyone who has a relative who has suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, or who may have the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease themselves, there had been hope that the Omega Three Fatty Acid called docosahexenoic acid or DHA might have therapeutic value.

However, a recent study, completed over a time period of 18 months using 400 volunteers suggests that DHA has no potential in slowing down Alzheimer’s disease. Half of the study participants were given two grams of DHA daily, and the other half were not. Participants already showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease, however the use of DHA did nothing to slow the disease process down.

Another study looked at patients over the age of 75 who had one to two glasses of alcohol a day and compared them to abstainers of the same age. The group that drank one to two glasses a day had a 40 percent less chance of developing dementia. However, the study also noted that 10 percent of people who start drinking become alcoholics, and that drinking more than one to two drinks a day can have negative effects on your health.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that shows that drinking in moderation, perhaps one to two glasses of an alcoholic beverage such as red wine, might actually have beneficial health effects.
Experts don’t advise patients who don’t drink to start drinking, as many cancers and heart disease are linked to excessive alcohol consumption.

However, for patients who have a glass of red wine with their dinner, they may be benefiting their health. Scientists are working to identify the substance in red wine that leads to improved health outcomes in those who consume one to two glasses of the wine on a daily basis.