Sounds, oddly, like fun time and a purge at he same time. The best of both worlds? Maybe… Just don’t go on a bender and expect to come out the other end thinking like Einstein, say researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center. The old maxim about moderation applies…
Wine for Health: Many studies have linked moderate alcohol consumption to health benefits.
Now, a new report says 2.5 glasses a day can help cleanse your brain and,
maybe, even help ward off Alzheimer’s…
A new study, which appears in the journal Scientific Reports,shows that low-level alcohol consumption tamp down inflammation and helps the brain clear away toxins, including those associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Note: the study specifies ‘low-level’ consumption. While excessive consumption of alcohol is a well-documented health hazard, many studies have linked lower levels of drinking with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as a number of cancers.
“Prolonged intake of excessive amounts of ethanol is known to have adverse effects on the central nervous system,” said Maiken Nedergaard, M.D., D.M.Sc., co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and lead author of the study. “However, in this study we have shown for the first time that low doses of alcohol are potentially beneficial to brain health, namely it improves the brain’s ability to remove waste.”
A little alcohol can boost the process
Nedergaard and her colleagues discovered the brain’s built-in cleaning system back in 2012. At that time, they showed how cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is pumped into brain tissue and flushes away waste, including the proteins beta amyloid and tau that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Subsequent research has shown that the glymphatic system is more active while we sleep, can be damaged by stroke and trauma, and improves with exercise.
The new study demonstrates that low-level alcohol consumption – about 2.5 glasses a day – can increase the efficiency of the brain’s self-cleaning system and reduce inflammation.
So…
Don’t guilt yourself over that glass of wine with dinner. But don’t feel you have to finish the whole bottle, either. Especially if you are dining alone!
Cheers!
~ Maggie J.