Study Finds Moderate Drinking Can Improve Cognitive Health

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine in La Jolla have found a link between modest alcohol consumption and prolonged cognitive health. Dr. Linda McEvoy, senior study author, believes that the finding is groundbreaking. Indeed, it does appear to be the first study of its kind to take into account the effect of alcohol on an older population.

"This study is unique because we considered men and women's cognitive health at late age and found that alcohol consumption is not only associated with reduced mortality, but with greater chances of remaining cognitively healthy into older age," Dr. McEvoy stated.

The research is based off data gathered from 1,344 adults—728 of which were women and 616 of which were men. However, as Medical News Today points out, almost all participants were white (99.4 percent) and belonged to the middle or upper-middle class.

Information was collected over a period of 29 years. Participants’ cognitive health was analyzed at baseline, and again every four years.

It’s also important to know that “moderate alcohol consumption” was defined as one standard drink per day for women of all ages and men aged 65 or older. Men under the age of 65 were afforded two standard drinks per day. 

"This study shows that moderate drinking may be part of a healthy lifestyle to maintain cognitive fitness in aging,” said Erin Richard, lead author of the study. “However, it is not a recommendation for everyone to drink. Some people have health problems that are made worse by alcohol, and others cannot limit their drinking to only a glass or two per day. For these people, drinking can have negative consequences."

In other words, great news for those of us that enjoy an alcoholic beverage here and there! Here’s to better cognitive health! Cheers!

What She Learned from Being Sober for 2 Months

How would your life change if you stopped drinking?
Image: Shutterstock 

Today’s blog post is a guest entry from a friend. Earlier this year, this friend of mine did something a bit unusual for someone in their early- to mid-twenties: she intentionally gave up alcohol. This friend is someone who lives in a city with a vibrant nightlife, where going out and socializing with friends without involving alcohol seemed impossible.

Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

The older I get the more I realize there is more to life than just binge-drinking with random people and Sunday hangovers. So, I decided to give my body a break for two months and here is what I learned from my temporary sobriety.

1.     I learned how to go out and not always have a drink in hand. It’s okay to be “that girl” who sips on water with lemon, and I promise it’s not as difficult as it seems. Plus, you get to see how alcohol slowly begins to affect others. Words start slurring, people became more outgoing. You don’t notice these things when you are going through the same transition as everyone else.

2.     You learn how to socialize away from the bar. While being at a bar isn’t terrible, it shouldn’t have to be your first place for socializing. Yoga and coffee with friends became my favorite new socializing activities, and neither of them were a great leap from activities I already enjoy. You begin to remember what life is like without late nights and drunken conversations that don’t really mean much.

3.     No more drunk texting! You never will wake up and look at your phone only to discover how many apologies you’d have to make to all the exes and friends you called before bed.

4.     I realized that alcohol has the power to make me a negative, angry person. When I would drink, I relied on things like superficial gossip as my way of socializing. But when I didn’t have booze on the table, I wanted to discuss my goals, dreams and my friends’ futures.

5.     You learn how to have just a few drinks and then stop. You suddenly appreciate alcohol again and realize it no longer needs to be a lifestyle. I enjoy now having a drink or two with a friend, being in bed before midnight and enjoying all the time I now have in the next day – and I get to leave the hangover out of it.

Have you ever cut alcohol out of your social life? What did you take away from your own experience?

17 Life Changing Choices I’ve Made as an Adult

This is something that took me years to learn.

I never was one to make a lot of poor life choices, but that doesn’t mean I never made any. Being young has its advantages—like the ability to survive on three hours of sleep and still have enough energy to go to a concert the next night. But it also comes with disadvantages, like not fully understanding how to take care of ourselves. Adulthood hasn’t brought me all the answers, and I doubt it ever will. But it has brought me some clarity, and these days I find that my priorities have changed.

Now, I’m making choices that are better for my body, mind, and soul. For example, I used to constantly compare myself to others and my main goal in life was to make everyone else happy. I haven’t completely been able to banish the comparisons, but I’m more mindful about them now. And while I want everyone to be happy, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t always sacrifice my own happiness and well being to avoid disappointing others. In short, I am far more self-aware and I value myself so much more than I ever did before.

This shift didn’t just happen overnight—it was a long process and involved a lot of individual choices. Here are some of the choices I’ve made along the way:

Being happy and healthy means eating right.
Image: Shutterstock

1. Finding a workout that I love and committing to it regularly.
2. Drinking in moderation.
3. Loving my body for all the hard work it does for me—whether or not I’ve got the perfect flat abs.
4. Making “me” time.
5. Making time for friends (apart from my significant other).
6. Cooking healthy meals at home, regularly.
7. Being mindful and calling myself out for ignoring what my body and mind need.
8. Checking up on my health—doctor’s visits, breast checks, etc.
9. Admitting when I need a mental health day and seeking help when I feel overwhelmed or depressed.
10. Committing to living a healthy lifestyle rather than extreme dieting.
11. Spending fewer hours in front of a screen. Reading, writing, or playing with the dog instead of watching another episode of “Friends.”
12. Being OK with indulging—in moderation. One cookie is NOT something to feel bad about. Twenty cookies is a different story.
13. Paying attention to what’s in my food, drinks, makeup, and even hair dye—and avoiding harmful chemicals.
14. Staying home when I’m sick instead of suffering through the day (and making others miserable, too).
15. Going outside at least once every day.
16. Letting the little things go rather than allowing them to cause problems.
17. Allowing myself to be a human being—I will make mistakes, and that is ok. Life is about finding balance, losing it, and then finding it again. Over and over.

What are some tough lessons you've learned or choices you've made as an adult? 

5 Common Headaches

We’ve all likely had headaches in our lives. They come in different forms and can be caused by a wide array of things. One-time occurrences are common, but so too are recurring headaches. It’s important to recognize different types of headaches and what’s causing them so you can minimize the chance you’ll get another one as well as determine proper treatment.

Headache types by location
Image from ufandshands.org

Let’s start with the common, self-induced hangover headache. Doctors aren’t positive what exactly causes hangover headaches. Alcohol can cause blood vessels to become inflamed and dehydrates us, both common causes of headaches. Circumstances like staying up late and missing out on morning caffeine can also be contributors. Drinking extra water while drinking, before bed, and after waking up can help reduce hangover headaches. Over the counter painkillers can also be used.

Tension headaches are also common and are characterized by their “behind the eyes” location. If your headaches just behind your eyes or forehead, it’s likely a tension headache and can be treated using over the counter products. Likely causes of these headaches are eyestrain, bad lighting or fluorescent lights. They are generally mild.

Massage can treat and prevent migraines

Image: Shutterstock

If your headache is just behind one eye or much more severe, it could be a migraine. Migraines are triggered by a number of things, including common food additives, caffeine, aspartame, sulfites, tannins, nitrites, alcohol, hidden additives (Tyramine or Phenylethylamine), and even leftovers (higher levels of Tyramine). Non-food causes can include stress, sleep deprivation, dehydration, fluorescent or bright lighting, and more. Migraines are often treated using prescription medication, though massage therapy is also a viable method for prevention.

Cluster headaches and migraines share many symptoms, but cluster headaches are unique in that they usually awaken someone from sleep. The also often last for a much shorter period of time—15 minutes to 3 hours—than migraines do (they can go on for days). Like migraines, prevention is key for cluster headaches and regular pain medications won’t have an effect. Treatments can include inhaling oxygen through a mask, local anesthetics, and prescription medications.

Cause or cure?
Image from memegenerator.net

Caffeine headaches can be brutal if you’re used to ingesting a lot of caffeine. They are most common in the morning and can be a catch-22 for the sufferer. While an occasional cup of coffee to cure the headache can help, doing so more than twice a week may call for additional treatment. Caffeine can also be a cause of headache, so be careful not to get caught in this cycle.

Spotlight: Wine, Benefits & Risks

Wine can be both beneficial and risky to women's health.
Image: Shutterstock

Like many people, I have a soft spot for wine. It’s one of those flavors that took some time to grow on me, and now that it has, there’s not anything quite like it. Of course, I don’t like every wine I taste; I prefer reds that are smooth yet robust, and I like my whites to be slightly sweet and fruity.

Nowhere close to being an expert on the matter, I found myself wondering what exactly the benefits of drinking wine were and where they cut off. For years, I’ve been aware of the fact that a glass of red wine each night can be beneficial. But I’ve never looked into the matter further than that. I’ve never been a big drinker, and I always just assumed I didn’t need to worry about any of those problems.

I still find myself in a position where I’m not overly concerned about my alcohol consumption, but every once in a while I decide that instead of one glass of wine, I’d like to have two—and even rarer yet, three. What then? At what point do the benefits cease and the risks begin?

Wine provides valuable antioxidants.
Image: Shutterstock

For men, there are benefits to having up to two drinks per day. For women, benefits last up to one drink. What’s in a drink? Twelve ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of red or white wine, or 1.5 ounces (one shot) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Alcohol in general can raise the “good” cholesterol (HDL) in our bodies and thin our blood. Wine also contains phytochemicals that act as antioxidants and help prevent cellular damage in our bodies. This can prevent blood clotting, plaque formation, and potentially promotes cardiovascular health and helps fight cancer. Both red and white wine contain these non-alcoholic phytochemicals, but red has a much greater concentration compared to white.

However, it’s not all good with wine. Sometimes the benefits aren’t as great as the risks and consequences. Some conditions are worsened by wine, which is why physicians sometimes recommend that patients not drink alcohol. Wine can raise triglyceride levels, which can be a problem for those who already have high levels—such as diabetics. Wine is also full of empty calories and can prompt weight gain, especially if it’s enjoyed in excess.

My personal problem with drinking wine is that it worsens my migraines. It doesn’t always happen, which is why I sometimes enjoy a glass or two. But other times, it sets off a headache—which can last for hours or even days at a time. This is due to the sulfites contained in wine (red more than white).

Alcohol can raise estrogen levels.
Image: Susan G. Komen

Some alcohol can also raise estrogen levels and can possibly increase tumor progression for women with estrogen positive breast cancer. Even staying under the limit of one drink per day could increase the risk for breast cancer. At this point, researchers still say the health benefits outweigh the risks for just one drink—but past that, the risk goes up with every drink. I think I’ll resist the urge for that second drink from now on.

10 Perks of Drinking Beer

Drinking beer can be good for your health.
Image: Shutterstock

Most people know all about the harmful effects of drinking too much beer, but did you know that there are some great benefits that come with drinking beer in moderation? Just like a glass of red wine a night can be good for your health, so too can drinking a nightly brewski.

While keeping in mind that bingeing on any type of alcohol has more negative effects than positive, consider the following benefits:

Because beer has high levels of silicon (especially pale ales) drinking it in moderation can help strengthen your bones. This is true for up to two beers a night. Beware, though: those who drank more than two beers a night actually had a higher risk for fracturing bones. 

Like wine, beer can also contribute positively to heart health. A pint of beer daily has been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease, though bingeing increases the risk. It’s also been shown that moderate drinking reduces the risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease by up to 40%. This is because beer contains HDL, which can help raise good cholesterol and prevent artery clogs. This also means a lower risk of stroke.

Benefits of drinking beer include a lower risk of stroke.
Image: Shutterstock

A brewski or two a night can also boost kidney health. The risk for kidney stones can be reduced by nearly 40%, though researchers are unsure whether this is due to alcohol’s high water content or the hops’ ability to slow calcium leeching from our bones.

Drinking beer also helps prevent brain health problems like Alzheimer’s and dementia by up to 20 percent. Moderate drinkers also have a reduced cancer risk, since beer and wine are both high in antioxidants. Beer-marinated steak was found to have 70% fewer carcinogens as well, which researchers theorize is due to the beer’s sugars.

Beer can reduce the risk of developing
Alzeheimer's & dementia by up to 20%.
Image: Shutterstock

Since beer contains high levels of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, drinking one or two a night leads to boosted vitamin levels. Drinking small amounts of alcohol also increases insulin sensitivity, so adults who have one or two per day have a 25% reduced risk for developing type 2 Diabetes.

Lastly, drinking beer helps lower blood pressure, meaning a lower risk for heart attack and other stress-related problems. Moderate drinkers tend to live a longer life as well, since they are at a reduced risk for so many health problems.

This is good news for the people who are involved in ownership of the big brewery companies.  People like Peter Coors and Eric Molson are still involved in the family companies that bear their names. Brian Grossman is heavily involved in his father’s Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and breweries like the Bavaria Brewery often act as important parts of the portfolios of families like the Santo Domingos (which include members Tatiana and Andres Santo Domingo.)

All of these effects are relevant only for one or two drinks per day. Drinking more than that often has an adverse effect, putting beer drinkers at a higher risk for some problems. But for moderate drinkers—rejoice (and don’t feel bad for having a pint or two)!