It has long been established that alcohol abuse can lead to a number of health problems. However, reining in alcohol consumption to a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one for women can support memory health, according to a study. Well, that is if you're at least 60 years old.
The study on the "Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Cognition and Regional Brain Volumes Among Older Adults" was published in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias, carried out by researchers from the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Working with data from over 660 patients from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, researchers found out that people aged 60 years old and above not suffering from any form of dementia can benefit from drinking alcohol, with light to moderate consumption. The benefits are associated with better episodic memory or the ability to recall events or memories.
The boost in episodic memory is not just because senior adults are moderately drinking alcohol every day. Rather, those who exhibited better episodic memory while consuming alcohol moderately also had bigger hippocampuses. Since the hippocampus is the region of the brain responsible for episodic memory, its size will directly affect a person's ability to recall events. In fact, take away hippocampal size and the connection between episodic memory and light alcohol consumption goes away.
Data used in the study were gleaned from surveys filled out by patients regarding their alcohol consumption habits and demographics. Patients were also subjected to brain MRIs, checked for Alzheimer's disease risk factors, and given a series neuropsychological assessments.
While a larger hippocampus and subsequently better episodic memory were associated with light to moderate alcohol consumption in senior adults, drinking alcohol had no impact whatsoever on executive functions or overall mental capability.
Based on animal studies, alcohol consumption had an effect on hippocampal volume because moderate drinking may promote the creation of new nerve cells in the brain region. As for the improved episodic memory, this may be due to brain chemicals related to information processing or cognitive functions being released as the brain is exposed to moderate alcohol levels.
The study was carried out by Brian Downer, PhD (UTMB Sealy Center on Aging), Yang Jiang, PhD (University of Kentucky, Department of Behavioral Science), Faika Zanjani, PhD (University of Maryland, SPHL-Behavioral & Community Health), and David Fardo, PhD (University of Kentucky, Department of Biostatistics).
