People who drink two pints of beer a day were over a third less likely to develop dementia than teetotallers, a new study suggests.
Dementia refers to a loss of abilities to remember, think, or make decisions of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common form. Surprising new research reports moderate alcohol consumption is linked to lower risks of developing the condition.
The staggering findings are from an Australian study that cautioned against excessive alcohol consumption. In comparison to people who abstain, occasional and light to moderate drinkers were 22 percent less likely to develop the condition.
Published in the journal Addiction, the Express reported the marked reduction was also observed in participants who drank the most amount of beer.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales obtained data on the alcohol drinking habits and dementia rates of 24,478 people over the age of 60.
The cohort was divided into non-drinkers, occasional drinkers (1.3g of ethanol per day), light to moderate drinkers (1.3g to 25g per day), moderate to heavy drinkers (25g to 45g per day) and heavy drinkers (more than 45g per day).
One pint of beer contains around 16 grams of ethanol, while a medium-sized glass of wine has around 18g. None of the participants, who were followed for up to 40 years, had dementia at the start of the study.
Over the course of the study, 2,124 people were diagnosed with dementia. When compared to abstainers, occasional and light to moderate drinkers were 22% less likely to develop the condition.
And those who consumed up to two-and-a-half pints a day had a 38% reduced risk of being diagnosed compared to non-drinkers. Even the biggest drinkers were 19% less likely to be a dementia sufferer than those who didn't consume alcohol.
When the researchers probed deeper into the association, drinking 40g of ethanol per day, the equivalent to five units, was linked with a lower risk of dementia compared to those who had never had a tipple. The researchers said their data was robust.
However, they noted that alcohol intake was self-reported by participants. And the type of alcohol consumed was not logged. Some studies have found that only certain drinks, such as wine, may protect against dementia.
To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, the NHS advises both men and women avoid regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
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