A dementia expert has revealed the precise age you should put aside beer, wine and spirits with the aim of warding off Alzheimer’s in later life.
American neurologist Dr Richard Restak has advised individuals to become complete teetotallers from the age of 65 onwards.
Even just one or two alcoholic drinks every few weeks is said to accelerate age-related damage in nerve cells in our brain.
‘Alcohol is a very, very weak neurotoxin – it’s not good for nerve cells,’ writes Dr Restak in his book, The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind.
‘It is essential to abstain from alcohol at a stage in life where preserving neurons is crucial.
‘I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet.’
Dr Restak, who is past president of the American Neuropsychiatric Association, pinpointed 65 because the risk of dementia jumps five-fold — and continues to every five years.
A dementia expert has revealed the precise age you should put aside beer, wine and spirits with the aim of warding off the memory robbing disorder
Being unable to learn new tasks and struggling to stay focused on a single task can be a sign of dementia — the memory-robbing condition plaguing nearly 1million Brits and seven million Americans
Dementia is an ongoing decline in brain functioning that robs sufferers of their memories, abilities and independence.
Almost one million Brits are thought to be living with dementia, about one in 14 people over the age of 65.
However, the figure is predicted to rise to nearly 1.5million in the coming decades as the population continues to age.
Multiple studies have linked high alcohol consumption to increased risk of the disease because prolonged excessive drinking is known to shrink parts of the brain.
This shrinkage can exacerbate the progression of dementia and sometimes even trigger the condition.
A lifetime of heavy boozing is listed as one of 14 lifestyle factors that could increase the risk someone could develop dementia in their lifetime.
As well as more common forms of the disease, excessive drinking can also cause a type of dementia called Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.
This occurs when alcohol disrupts the body’s ability to absorb a nutrient called vitamin called B1, also known as thiamine, which is vital for keeping brain cells healthy.
Charities, like Alzheimer’s Research UK, estimate that half of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or significantly delayed if people cut down on drinking.
The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units each week — that’s 14 single shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine
Research published in the Lancet found that 50 percent of French adults with early-onset dementia also had a history of alcohol use disorder
Research has also suggested that the dangers alcohol poses to dementia risk may be present far before the age of 65.
A major study of French people diagnosed with early onset dementia, medically defined as before the age of 65, found half had alcohol-use disorder in their medical records.
Brits are advised to avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week, the equivalent of about six pints of average strength beer or a bottle and a half of wine.
Some small studies suggest moderate drinking could help ward off dementia, however experts and charities insist this link hasn’t been substantially proven.
Dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is a type of, is estimated to cost the country £43billion per year, a bill that is expected to double by 2040.
