From: matus [matus@snet.net]
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 10:27 PM
To: matus@snet.net
Subject: MFD List - Alcohol Health Benefits

(A recent studied shows that moderate amounts of alchohol may actually be
good for the brain, in addition to reducing the risk of Heart Disease.  A
policitally incorrect outcome of a scientific test, unfortunately, for
proponents of DARE and other such programs which teach that alchohol
consumption in any amount is unhealthy.  Truth is, most things, in
moderation, really arent that bad for you.  Its over indulgence that kills
you, in anything from alchohol and high fat foods to fruits and vegetables.
- Mike)

Alcohol Health Benefits

During one of his many showdowns with his brain, Homer Simpson pleads for
help on a test and promises to "go back to killing you slowly with beer" as
soon as the test is over. Turns out Homer got that one wrong too.

A new study published in The Lancet indicates that moderate alcohol
consumption may actually be good for the brain, helping prevent Alzheimer's
disease and other types of dementia. The same "blood thinning" effects from
alcohol that ward off heart disease and strokes appear to help brains stay
healthy.

Of course, Homer could get tripped up by the moderation thing. The study
found that one to three drinks a day produced the benefit. Any more than
that, and things go downhill fast. Alcoholics can pickle their brains to
such an extent that it actually shrinks, the researchers said.

Scientists at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, conducted a
six-year study of 5,395 people aged 55 and over. Moderate drinkers--no
matter what type of alcohol they imbibed--had a 42 percent lower risk of
developing dementia than the nondrinkers.

As this kind of evidence begins to pile up supporting moderate alcohol
consumption, the health community faces a quandary. Does it stick to the
official line that alcohol in any amount has the potential to lead to very
bad health outcomes? Or do doctors take the lead in "prescribing" a few
drinks a week, in much the same way as they have advocated an aspirin a day
or changes in diet?

Keeping patients in the dark about alcohol won't help them make smart
choices. Just ask Homer.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,43910,00.html

Study: Moderate Drinking May Prevent Dementia

AP
Friday, January 25, 2002

LONDON - Yet another study has proven that bending the elbow for a little
after-work relaxation is not necessarily a guilty pleasure.

New research indicates that daily moderate consumption of alcohol, which has
already been shown to help prevent heart disease and strokes, may also ward
off Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

The study, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, also found
that it doesn't seem to matter what people drink - the effect is the same.

The finding adds to a growing body of evidence for the health benefits of
moderate drinking.

Experts say moderation - between one and three drinks a day - is the key.

The adverse effect of excess alcohol is beyond question. Besides destroying
the liver, several studies have shown that excessive drinking can be toxic
to the brain. Alcoholics can end up with a shrunken brain, which is linked
to dementia. There is even a medical condition called alcoholic dementia.

"For people who drink moderately, this is another indication that they are
not doing any harm. And for those who don't, if they don't simply out of
health concerns, they might want to rethink that position," said Meir
Stampfer, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of
Public Health, who was not involved in the study.

Scientists at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, conducted a
six-year study of 5,395 people aged 55 and over who did not have signs of
dementia.

They were asked whether they ever drank alcohol. Those who said yes were
quizzed on how often they drank and details on their consumption of specific
drinks such as wine, beer, spirits and fortified wine such as sherry and
port.

The men mostly drank beer and liquor, while women preferred wine and
fortified wine.

The researchers also checked whether participants' drinking habits had
changed over the preceding five years or whether they had engaged in binge
drinking - more than six drinks in one day.

Everyone was categorized according to how much they drank. Four or more
glasses of alcohol per day was considered heavy drinking.

By the end of the study in 1999, 197 of the participants had developed
Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. Those who fared best were people
who drank between one and three drinks a day. They had a 42 percent lower
risk of developing dementia than the nondrinkers.

Those who weren't daily drinkers but had more than one drink per week had a
25 percent lower risk and those who drank less than a glass a week were 18
percent less likely than nondrinkers to develop dementia.

The number of heavy drinkers, who numbered 165 - mostly men - was
insufficient to draw conclusions about any affect heavy drinking might have
on dementia.

Recalculating all the figures for each type of alcohol separately, and
comparing wine to other types of alcohol, yielded the same results.

"This red wine thing is a myth. The evidence for it is meager," said
Stampfer. "It happens that red wine, in most cultures, is more likely to be
consumed in moderation than spirits or beer, so for that reason it can
appear to be specially protective, but in fact, the type of beverage does
not matter."

Researchers suggested the blood-thinning and cholesterol-lowering properties
of ethanol in alcohol may ward off dementia, which is often caused by a
blood vessel problem.

Another possibility, the study speculated, is that low levels of alcohol
could stimulate the release acetylcholine, a brain chemical believed to
facilitate learning and memory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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