In addition to helping you relax at the end of a busy day, a small portion of alcohol can end up helping your health in the long run and lowering your risk of developing dementia, according to a Korean study published this Monday (6/2) in JAMA Network Open magazine. According to research, people who drink up to two cans of beer or a glass of wine a day have a lower risk of developing dementia.
To reach this conclusion, researchers in South Korea analyzed information from four million people extracted from the country’s National Health Service database between 2009 and 2011. Participants were, on average, 55 years old at the beginning of the study and no history of dementia. All were instructed to answer a questionnaire about the frequency and amount of alcohol consumed daily when entering the analysis.
In 2018, when undergoing new tests at the National Health Service, participants were asked again about their relationship with alcohol and whether they had been diagnosed with dementia.
People who participated in the survey were divided into four groups: sober drinkers, light drinkers (who have about one drink a day), moderate drinkers (up to two drinks a day) and heavy drinkers (more than two drinks a day).
The results showed that those used to drinking a can of beer or a glass of wine a day had a 21% lower risk of developing dementia compared to non-drinkers. Those who had two drinks a day had a 17% lower risk of having the disease. However, excess is bad: those who consumed the highest daily amounts of alcohol had an 8% greater risk of developing the condition.
According to researchers, in small amounts, alcohol can protect against dementia, as it reduces inflammation in the brain and blood thickness, facilitating blood circulation and oxygenation of the body.
However, although the results were interesting, the study could not prove exactly whether alcohol was responsible for reducing the risk of dementia – other factors, such as diet or genetics, can also influence the diagnosis. Another limitation of the survey is that the research was based on the participants’ reports about drinking the drink, which are not always honest.
According to scientists, the relationship between alcohol and dementia still needs to be deepened and, therefore, one should not consume alcoholic beverages to prevent the disease.
Red wine and the gut
For years, science has been trying to understand the health benefits of red wine. The drink, very traditional in some cultures, is usually associated with benefits in circulation and the heart, but few studies have investigated exactly how alcohol can help the human body.
However, a survey published in October 2022 in the scientific journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and released by FAPESP on Tuesday (7/2), began to try to explain the phenomenon. Brazilian, American and Austrian scientists found that moderate consumption of wine helps to remodel the intestinal microbiota in patients with coronary artery disease.
The study involved 42 Brazilians with coronary artery disease, all men, with an average age of 60 years. Before the start of the study, participants stopped consuming a number of foods that influence gut health, such as fermented products, probiotics and dairy products.
During three weeks, all consumed 250 ml of a red wine produced especially for the study, with 12.75% alcohol concentration. Afterwards, they abstained from alcohol for the same period.
The scientists analyzed the intestinal microbiota of the participants at both times with a technology that allows the genetic identification of bacterial species. They noticed that the intestinal microbiota of the volunteers underwent a significant change after the period in which the patients drank wine every day.
In addition to the increase in the amount of microorganisms that are essential for homeostasis and the correct functioning of the body, a change was detected that reduced the body’s oxidative stress, an alteration often related to diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
“We showed that a common intervention, used by several populations, such as those in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and southern Brazil, can interfere with intestinal flora and plasma metabolomics, partly explaining the beneficial effects of wine observed in studies over the years. However, we warn that excessive alcohol consumption, that is, greater than 30 grams (in the case of wine, 250 ml) per day, is harmful and is associated with increases in mortality from cancer, accidents and violent deaths”, he explains. researcher Protásio Lemos da Luz, professor at USP’s Instituto do Coração and one of the authors of the study, in interview with FAPESP Agency.
He suggests that the three-week period is too short to establish long-term changes, but that further studies are needed to better understand the health effects of wine.
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