A study found that drinking more than eight canned beer a week nearly doubles the risk of dementia.
According to the Daily Mail on the 13th (local time), a research team at Sao Paulo University in Brazil recently published the results of analyzing the effects of alcohol on the brain in the American journal Neurology.
The study was conducted on 1781 deaths (average age of 75). Brain autopsy and biopsy were conducted, and at the same time, the deceased's alcohol intake was investigated through the bereaved family.
The research team classified the survey subjects into four groups. ▲965 people (Group A) who did not drink at all ▲ 319 people (Group B) who drank less than 7 drinks a week ▲ 129 people (Group C) who drank more than 8 drinks a week ▲ 386 people (Group D) who drank excessively. Based on the research team, a glass of alcohol is 14g of pure alcohol, equivalent to a glass of wine (148ml) or a can of beer (355ml).
As a result, the risk of developing brain lesions related to memory and thinking problems increased when drinking eight wine or more cans of beer a week. Vascular brain lesions, including tau tangles, the risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, and neurodegenerative signs called hyaline arteriolosclerosis associated with cognitive impairment have increased.
Even when factors such as age, health status, and smoking status were adjusted, differences between groups were clear. The risk of vitreous arteriosclerosis was 133% greater in group C, 89% in group D, and 60% greater in group B compared to group A. The incidence of tau protein entanglement was also measured high in groups C and D. In addition, Group C died an average of 13 years earlier than Group A.
"Excessive drinking is directly related to signs of brain damage, which has a long-term effect on brain health," said Alberto Fernando Oliveira, a professor at Oliveira Husto. "Even if you don't experience dementia, brain damage itself can cause problems in old age memory and thinking."