If you're over 60, drink up: Alcohol associated with better memory

To quote Lewis Carroll, "damn, that's good news." Actually, I think he said something like, "Frabjous day, etc., etc," but I think it what I wrote is closer to the point.
 This means the older author can continue to follow Ernest Hemingway's advise, "Write drunk, edit sober."  Well, no, not a good idea.  I mean editing sober is always a good idea, but writing drunk?  Not so much. But a glass of wine or a highball before?  Perhaps.

 Here's the story:

For people 60 and older who do not have dementia, light alcohol consumption during late life is associated with higher episodic memory -- the ability to recall memories of events.

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, University of Kentucky, and University of Maryland found that for people 60 and older who do not have dementia, light alcohol consumption during late life is associated with higher episodic memory -- the ability to recall memories of events.

Moderate alcohol consumption was also linked with a larger volume in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for episodic memory. The relationship between light alcohol consumption and episodic memory goes away if hippocampal volume is factored in, providing new evidence that hippocampal functioning is the critical factor in these improvements.

This study used data from more than 660 patients in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. These patients completed surveys on their alcohol consumption and demographics, a battery of neuropsychological assessments, the presence or absence of the genetic Alzheimer's disease risk factor APOE e4 and MRIs of their brains. The researchers found that light and moderate alcohol consumption in older people is associated with higher episodic memory and is linked with larger hippocampal brain volume. Amount of alcohol consumption had no impact on executive function or overall mental ability.

The Classic Guide
by William Zinsser
Findings from animal studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption may contribute to preserved hippocampal volume by promoting generation of new nerve cells in the hippocampus. In addition, exposing the brain to moderate amounts of alcohol may increase the release of brain chemicals involved with cognitive, or information processing, functions.

"There were no significant differences in cognitive functioning and regional brain volumes during late life according to reported midlife alcohol consumption status," said lead author Brian Downer. "This may be due to the fact that adults who are able to continue consuming alcohol into old age are healthier, and therefore have higher cognition and larger regional brain volumes, than people who had to decrease their alcohol consumption due to unfavorable health outcomes."

Although the potential benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption to cognitive learning and memory later in life have been consistently reported, extended periods of abusing alcohol, often defined as having five or more alcoholic beverages during a single drinking occasion is known to be harmful to the brain.

Related posts:

*  *  *  *  *
Story Source:  Materials provided by University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. B. Downer, Y. Jiang, F. Zanjani, D. Fardo. Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Cognition and Regional Brain Volumes Among Older Adults. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 2014.

Comments

  1. BelindaAugust 1, 2025 at 8:47 AM

    I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease four years ago. For over two years, I relied on Levodopa and several other medications, but unfortunately, the symptoms kept getting worse. The tremors became more noticeable, and my balance and mobility started to decline quickly. Last year, out of desperation and hope, I decided to try a herbal treatment program from NaturePath Herbal Clinic.
    Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but within a few months of starting the treatment, I began to notice real changes. My movements became smoother, the tremors subsided, and I felt steadier on my feet. Incredibly, I also regained much of my energy and confidence. It’s been a life-changing experience I feel more like myself again, better than I’ve felt in years.If you or a loved one is struggling with Parkinson’s disease, I truly recommend looking into their natural approach. You can visit their website at [www .naturepathherbalclinic .com.] info@naturepathherbalclinic .com

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why some people hear color, taste sounds

Image
Source: ucsdnews.ucsd.edu Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of the undersides of a synesthete's and a control subject's brains, while viewing a black- and-white letter or number. The color-selective hVR region of the cortex is shown in pink. Brain "activation" is shown in shades of red, orange and yellow, with brighter colors meaning more activity. The brain of the synesthete shows activity in the color-selective region, while the brain of the non-synesthete does not.  It's called synesthesia, and it effects one out of every 100 people. A synesthete is a person with the ability to hear colors or to see a sound.  No, they're not deaf with highly developed other senses.  These are folks much like you and me, only where you and I might see a color, red, they also hear and / or taste the color red as they see it. Fascinating, to quote Spock. To paraphrase another well-known sci-fi guru, "Imagine, if you will, a det...
Read more

Remember faces but not names? You got it wrong.

Image
Source:   Daily Excelsior So, you think you're good at remembering faces, but terrible with names? New research has revealed we are actually better at remembering names than faces The cringe-worthy experience of not being able to remember an acquaintance's name leads many of us to believe we are terrible with names. However, new research has revealed this intuition is misleading; we are actually better at remembering names than faces. With the Christmas party season fast approaching, there will be plenty of opportunity to re-live the familiar, and excruciatingly-awkward, social situation of not being able to remember an acquaintance's name. This cringe-worthy experience leads many of us to believe we are terrible at remembering names. However, new research has revealed this intuition is misleading; we are actually better at remembering names than faces. The authors of the study, from the University of York, suggest that when we castigate ourselves f...
Read more

What Happens to Your Brain in Deep Space Ain't Good

Image
www.bikeforums.net   An egg in a frying pan, from the Your Brain on Drugs campaign of the 1970s.  Unfortunately, research shows this is the same effect deep space travel could have on the human brain.   In February of this year, Mars One, a non-profit Dutch organization, announced the selection of 100 top candidates for a scheduled 2024 trip to Mars, a trip that may not be possible without inflicting debilitating damage to the brains of those selected for the flight.  The same can be said of flights by NASA or any other group considering such a venture. A trip from Earth to Mars is estimated by NASA to take about 260 days if launched during the period the orbits of the Earth and Mars are closest, something that happens about every 1.6 years.  Over the eight months needed to travel to Mars, most of it spent in deep space, outside the  protective bubble of Earth's magnetosphere, astronauts will be ...
Read more

Why The Bubbles in a Glass of Guinness Sink: The Math of the Perfect Pint.

Image
To watch the bubbles in a pint of Guinness sink, click here . This is my kind of science.  As a bona fide stool holder with a personalized stein (Jacomus de'Paganus Fatuus) at a popular German tav, I know a good pint when I see one.  But the question is:  why do the bubbles in a freshly pulled pint of Guinness sink?  No, it's not an optical illusion, and no, you've not imbibed too much when you notice it. The bubbles do sink.  And it has to do with. . . oops, getting ahead of myself. Here's the story, which also details how to brew the perfect cup of joe.  And it's all in the numbers. *  *  *  *  * The secret behind a choice cuppa or  a perfect pint -- a mathematician Professor shows how the science of maths can aid the profits of industry IF you want to know how to pour the perfect pint or create the ultimate cup of coffee, then you really need a mathematician.  That might not be the most obviou...
Read more

Is Nuclear Power Our Salvation? Can It Power Our World Without Adding to Global Warming?

Image
There are many who feel that nuclear power is much more green than we have been led to believe. Could it be that most of what we fear about nuclear power stations is wrong?  Perhaps scare tactics from the coal and oil industries? Top environmentalists and global warming researchers such as James Lovelock have been urging the countries of the world to re-examine the risks of nuclear power when compared to the known costs of global warming and environmental degradation.  Now film director Robert Stone has created a riveting Sundance Film Festival winning documentary explaining our options in a rapidly changing and warming world in a fascinating exploration of this question. Click on image to view trailers or the film. Stone and his film crew take you to Fukushima, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island, to waste storage facilities in France and naturally radioactive beaches in Brazil  Stone's film features Stewart Brand of the Wh...
Read more