Drinkers may be less likely to develop dementia: study

October 6, 2022

Sober October has been touted as inspiration for many to whip themselves into shape.

But this may be one trend that’s hazardous to your health — at least according to a recent study that found abstaining from booze could raise your risk of developing dementia.

Published in the journal Addiction, the study was conducted by Sydney’s University of New South Wales, which performed a meta-analysis on 15 studies analyzing the link between alcohol and dementia in adults over the age of 60.

“Among current drinkers, there appears to be no consistent evidence to suggest that the amount of alcohol consumed in later life is associated with dementia risk,” the study concluded.

Researchers looked at 24,478 people from across the globe. Over the duration of the study, 2,124 of the adults developed dementia.

They found that those who were a part of the group diagnosed with the brain impairment were more likely to abstain from alcohol compared to light or moderate drinkers.

The study was more concentrated in wealthier countries including the United States, Australia and European nations. But they did also incorporate data from some middle- to lower-income countries, such as Brazil and the Republic of the Congo.

Many studies have differing conclusions about alcohol as it pertains to dementia.

Researchers didn’t establish why moderate hooch intake can bolster brain health, and it did not take into account other factors like exercise, diet or weight.

But it adds more fuel to the never-ending debate on whether drinking is a drag or a boost to your overall well-being.

Conflicting messages about adult beverages abound.

A March 2022 study said just one drink a day can shrink your brain while Marathon Brewing Company even marketed their 26.2 Brew as a health drink to replenish electrolytes after a long run.

The CDC says excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a host of health problems like heart disease, a host of cancers and depression.

However, this isn’t the first academic study to posit that a drink a day can keep the doctor away.

In a 2002 Dutch study, published in Lancet, reported that moderate to light boozing can lower the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and dementia.

It analyzed 8,000 individuals aged 55 years and older and found that there was a 42% risk reduction for all types of dementia and around a 70% reduction in the risk of vascular dementia.

The type of alcohol consumed — whether beer, wine or liquor — was not a factor.