A Small Glass of Wine Could Delay Dementia, Scientists Claim

By Simon Johnson, Daily Telegraph

December 28, 2008

United Kingdom

Research by academics at the University of Glasgow found that moderate alcohol consumption may improve the function of older women's brains.

Doctors analysed the performance of more than 5,800 people aged from 70 to 82 in a range of memory and language tests.

The results among male participants were similar, but women who consumed between one and seven units of alcohol a week performed significantly better than those who rarely drank or were teetotal.

Researchers concluded that drinking a small amount may delay cognitive decline and the onset of dementia, a degenerative condition that affects memory, attention, language and problem-solving. 

David Stott, professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: "We were interested in exploring the effects of alcohol on memory, thinking and cognition. 

"We found that modest amounts of alcohol in women seem to be associated with a delay in cognitive decline, such as speed of thought and how you use language and words. If these become serious, they can be signs of dementia. 

"This is not an endorsement to drink to excess - large amounts of alcohol will damage your brain - but the occasional tipple may do you some good." 

Volunteers from Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands took part in the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

It comprised of a series of tests to assess memory and recognition that were repeated over a three-year period. 

A unit of alcohol is equivalent of a 125ml glass of wine at about eight per cent alcohol by volume. Current government guidelines recommend that women drink no more than two to three units per day and men no more than three to four. 

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