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Light drinking may protect brain function:
UGA study shows that for older people it could help cognitive condition
[...] The study examined the link between alcohol consumption and changes in cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S.
[...] Compared to nondrinkers, they found that those who had a drink or two a day tended to perform better on cognitive tests over time.
Even when other important factors known to impact cognition such as age, smoking or education level were controlled for, they saw a pattern of light drinking associated with high cognitive trajectories.
The optimal amount of drinks per week was between 10 and 14 drinks. But that doesn't mean those who drink less should start indulging more, says Zhang.
"It is hard to say this effect is causal," he said. "So, if some people don't drink alcoholic beverages, this study does not encourage them to drink to prevent cognitive function decline."
Journal Reference:
Ruiyuan Zhang, Luqi Shen, Toni Miles, et al. Association of Low to Moderate Alcohol Drinking With Cognitive Functions in US Adults [open], JAMA Network Open (DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.7922)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 03 2020, @01:19PM
That's not terribly surprising, you saw the same sort of thing in the US during prohibition. I've heard the same thing about Saudi Arabia, there's definitely access, it's just that if you get caught by the authorities, the consequences are severe.
I don't personally mind that they continue to study the effects of alcohol, but it's rather irresponsible the way the studies are covered. Any upsides to drinking alcoholic beverages are outweighed by the negative health consequences. Yes, having the occasional drink is unlikely to have a noticeable impact on your health, nor is getting drunk a few times a years, but alcohol is a carcinogen and a toxin, it gets removed from the body preferentially to other things that you consume as a result.