Dementia is a general term for the symptoms associated with the progressive deterioration of the brain. Age is the preeminent risk factor for dementia, which is not good for the next few decades, when millions will enter old age. However, aging may be inevitable, but dementia may not. And there are proven ways to modify your risk of brain damage.
A new study published today in the journal PLOS Medicine has linked moderate alcohol consumption, a popular pastime in the UK, to higher levels of iron in the brain, which in turn is linked to poorer thinking skills.
Iron accumulation in the brain has been linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and is a potential mechanism for alcohol-related cognitive decline.
The new study linked consuming seven or more units of alcohol per week to higher levels of iron in the brain.
The study on the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and iron accumulation is the largest to date, with nearly 21,000 people enrolled.
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Commenting on the findings, Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Our brains are incredibly complex, responsible for our memories as well as what we think, feel and do. Keeping our brains healthy in as we age, we can help prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s that physically attack us, hitting the very essence of who we are.
“While there is no definitive level of safe alcohol consumption, research on how smaller amounts of alcohol can contribute to poorer brain health is an area of active research. In this large study, researchers went ask volunteers to self-report their alcohol intake while looking at iron levels in volunteers’ bodies, including their brain.This study points to a greater amount of iron as a potential mechanism for poorer brain health related with alcohol consumption, but the study cannot ensure with certainty that this relationship is causal.
“It’s not clear how iron accumulation affects the risk of dementia, and Alzheimer’s Research UK is funding research at Oxford University to improve our understanding of how changes in iron levels relate to other brain changes that they occur in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
“This study did not examine dementia or alcohol as a risk factor for the disease, but there are many good health reasons to monitor the amount of alcohol you are drinking. In addition to drinking only in moderation, keep “Being physically, mentally and socially active, eating a healthy, balanced diet, not smoking and controlling weight, cholesterol and blood pressure are good ways to keep our brain healthy as we age.”