After the age of 65, it is better to completely exclude alcohol from the menu, believes American neurologist Dr. Richard Restak. His recommendation is related to the accumulation of data on the relationship between excessive alcohol consumption, brain damage and dementia.
“I strongly recommend that if you are 65 or older, completely and permanently exclude alcohol from your diet“, writes Restak in his book “How to Prevent Dementia: A Guide to Long-Term Brain Health“. The quote was published by the British media LADbible.
Alcohol and the Brain
Restak describes alcohol as a direct neurotoxin - a substance that can damage or disrupt the functioning of the nervous system. According to him, people should think about why they drink. If the answer is that alcohol improves mood or reduces anxiety, this may be a sign of problematic use.
Continued drinking large amounts of alcohol can lead to vitamin B1 deficiency, damage to nerve cells, problems with blood vessels and a decrease in the volume of white matter in the brain. Among the consequences is alcohol-related brain damage, which includes Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcohol-related dementia.
The data does not mean that everyone should automatically stop drinking the day they turn 65. This is an expert recommendation, not a generally accepted medical limit. The risk depends on the amount, frequency of use, duration of drinking, general health and medications taken.
What are the official recommendations
The World Health Organization states that there is no safe amount of alcohol to recommend for cognitive health. The organization also does not accept the thesis that moderate use has a proven protective effect against dementia.
The National Health Service in the UK recommends that people should not exceed 14 units of alcohol per week. If a person regularly reaches this threshold, consumption should be spread over at least three days, with several days without alcohol. The service defines the limit as low-risk, not completely safe.
The Alzheimer's Society states that drinking more than 28 units per week can accelerate the deterioration of thinking abilities as you age. The organization also notes that moderate drinking has not been proven to cause dementia, but it does not protect against the disease.
Thus, the recommendation to stop drinking completely after age 65 should be seen as a precautionary approach, especially for people with long-term or heavy drinking. The link between large amounts of alcohol and brain damage is most strongly established, while the exact effect of small amounts remains a subject of scientific debate.
Sources: ladbible.com