Drinking Slows Dementia

Add another item to list of alcohol-related miracles: It curbs cognitive decline
By J. Kelman,  Newser User
Posted May 22, 2007 2:03 PM CDT
Drinking Slows Dementia
KRT LIFESTYLE STORY SLUGGED: ALZHEIMERS KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY EUGENE GARCIA/ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER   (KRT Photos)

Score a victory for the nightcap: Booze may help halt dementia in the elderly, a new study suggests. The Italian research, published in the journal Neurology, concludes that a one-drink-a-day habit can slow the progression of dementia by 85% in those in people 65 and older who already show mild cognitive impairment.

Earlier research tied moderate alcohol consumption to decreased rates of dementia and even Alzheimer's. The new study is the first to indicate that alcohol offers benefits once mild impairment has set in—though its authors can't pinpoint how. They do know that wine is best, as is moderation: Consuming more than one drink per day led to no positive effect. (More Alzheimer's disease stories.)

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