A DOCTOR’S ORDER WORTH REMEMBERING
New research suggests that an after-work pint can sink brain ageing and see off Alzheimer’s. The next round is on us
If someone told you that alcohol could preserve your memory, you’d be forgiven for believing they’d had one too many. But, according to research published in Scientific Reports, a pint a day keeps dementia away. Scientists have observed that teetotallers have a higher risk of developing the degenerative disease than moderate drinkers; in one BMJ study, abstinence in middle-aged people was associated with a 45% higher risk of Alzheimer’s, compared with those who consumed up to 14 units of alcohol per week – the standard guideline amount.
This happy news comes courtesy of your glymphatic system, the network of super-thin tubes surrounding your brain’s blood vessels that helps to flush away toxins. New experiments on mice found that, contrary to popular logic, small amounts of alcohol make this in-built waste- disposal system more efficient. Pop into the pub for a swift one on the way home from work and your glymphatic system will be better able to sift out the sticky protein plaque associated with Alzheimer’s, known as beta-amyloid.
Unsurprisingly, scientists are keen to trot out the well-worn trope that you should enjoy “everything in moderation”, as too much alcohol disrupts the glymphatic system and has a seriously detrimental effect on your body’s restorative powers. Sage advice, given our propensity for turning one pint into six. But at a time when millennials are turning their backs on the local and, as of 2015, 29% of those aged between 16 and 24 class themselves as non-drinkers, it’s worth remembering that raising a toast to your good health is no bad thing. Cheers to that.