You are here: Home > Diet & Health

A drink a day keeps brain fog at bay?

Pamela Allardice
Thursday, August 6, 2009
 
Share with MessengerShare
Getty Images
Move more, eat less
According to a study from Chicago's Loyola University, reported in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, moderate drinkers — defined as women who drank one alcoholic beverage a day and men who drank one or two — have less memory loss than teetotallers.

Although long-term alcohol abuse can certainly harm the brain, moderate drinking just might have the opposite effect.

Why? Researchers speculate that the cardiovascular-protective effects of light alcohol consumption reduce the risk of "mini-strokes" that affect cognitive function. Another possible reason is that small quantities of alcohol somehow tone brain cells, making them better able to withstand future stresses.


Your say: Do you think you have a good memory? Do you feel like your memory is affected by the amount you drink? Tell us below...


 
Share with MessengerShare
User comments
I'm a student and the biggest waster in town. I love my ***, once i start i cannot stop drinking. 5years of everyday drinking and heavy drinking on Friday and Saturday nights had led me to no imperfections what so ever and as for memory loss, nil. i believe the liver is evil and must be punished
Well drinking must obviously affect my memory because when I've had a few on the weekend I always forget to go to the toilet before going to sleep and hence wake up and find that I've done it in my bed! Oh the dilemmas!
what a load of crap!!. I drink every other night and I have a memory like a sieve. But hey, if they wanna give me another excuse to booze on then I spose i'm all for it. ... cheers, .hiccuppp!!
Alcohol in excess is terrible for you. Personally, I don't touch the stuff and....um......and I um......err....um.......I forgot what I was going to say.
It doesn't take long-term alcohol abuse to harm the brain, any level of consumption in young people is enough - thats also a finding of recent research! I think it more likely that the alcohol industry has primed yet another journalist to put a positive spin on some less than damning research in order to perpetuate the myth that consuming a toxic substance is in some way beneficial to health. I was indoctrinated into smoking and drinking like so many of my baby-boomer peers from a young age - when the Marlborough Man was still cool, and tee-totalers were portrayed as fanatics. But the sad truth is that Yul Brunner died slowly & painfully from lung cancer, and the tee-totalers were right. Instead of trying to ramp-up corporate profits, how about shining a bit more light on the role of alcohol in violence (eg. youth & women), accidents (eg. work and automobile), relationship breakdowns, mental illnesses, and the costs of all of this to our ailing health and justice systems?
I was having memory lapses, now i drink a glass of red a night and the brain is working again!
I drink far too much and do think it has adverse affects on my well-being, confidence and my short-term memory! What is this article about again???!
I am now 68 years old, and I find that drinking only one glass of red wine per day has not harmed me. I think I will stay at only one per day.
If reasonable (2-3 a day) alchohol consumption caused increased percentile of cancer as stated by "authorites", society would be rampant with it, and we are NOT. Societies that have increased rates of heart disease, bowel cancer and epithelial cell cancer (breast and prostate) are due to the fatty diets we have that include animal tallow (biscuits and breads) along with hydrogenated fats (Macas and KFC) and the fats we absorb through butter, margarine and MEAT.This includes Anglo nations (Australia,Canada,US,NZ and Britain) .The Southern Europoean intake of Olive oils (and Lamb) greatly reduces these diseases. However, Alchohol may combine with our diet type to increase cancers. Westerners are drenched in fatty animal crap.Their bodies are riddled with it.
My parents drink a small cup of acohol every night because they think it makes them earlier to fall to sleep.

Also in this section

Recipe Search

Tip: Try "lamb & potato" or "Low GI"
advertisement
Features
Pictures
Video
Magda Szubanski comes out as a lesbianComedian and actress Magda Szubanski will today announce she is gay, as she joins the push to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia. Baking soda, bicarb soda, baking powder. what is the difference?Question: What is the difference between baking powder, baking soda and bicarbonate of soda? What are their different applications? Butter chicken1 cup (150g) unsalted raw cashews 2 teaspoons garam masala 2 teaspoons ground coriander ½ teaspoon chilli powder 3 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely 4cm piece fresh ginger (20g), grated 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1/3 cup (90g) tomato paste ½ cup (140g) yogurt 1kg chicken thigh fillets, halved 80g butter 1 large brown onion (200g), chopped finely 1 cinnamon stick 4 cardamom pods, bruised 1 teaspoon hot paprika 400g can tomato puree ¾ cup (180ml) chicken stock ¾ cup (180ml) cream Note: This recipe is not suitable to make in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Use unsalted cashews in the roasted curry mixture or the taste of the finished butter chicken may not be as mellow as it could be. Angelina Jolie: How I avoided a horrible lifeAngelina Jolie has revealed how she escaped the "shallow" life many Hollywood stars live in a candid new video. How to cook a soft-boiled eggThere is a great debate and many points of view on how to boil the perfect egg. However, there are a few points that all the experts agree on.
ww |

inspire me

Glam and garish Grammys fashion

Glam and garish Grammys fashionThe red carpet fashion at this year's Grammy Awards was split into two...More >

Miranda Kerr-ves: Australia's sexiest...

Miranda Kerr-ves: Australia's sexiest supermodelThirty years after Elle Macpherson was crowned 'The Body', Australia has a new...More >

Photo galleries

The very best retro recipesThe very best retro recipes Marvellous mocktailsMarvellous mocktails

Recipes in your inbox

Recipes in your inboxWe send you the latest recipes from the weekly straight to your inbox.
Sign up now >
ww |

topics

Handy hints(740)/ Expert advice(530)/ natural health(434)/ Books(384)/ diet(343)/ Health(237)/ Recipes(234)/ Gardening(217)/ Food(206)/ Craft(164)/ Diet and nutrition(151)

Also on Ninemsn