If you’re concerned that drinking alcohol increases your risk of dementia as you get older, a large new study from South Korea may provide some insight. It starts with the idea that cutting down on alcohol is generally a good idea.
“Reducing your drinking decreases your risk of Alzheimer’s, while heavier drinking increases your risk of dementia,” the study’s author, Dr. Keun Hye Jeon, to NPR.
But there is also a surprise: light drinking lowers your risk of dementia.
Compared with people who didn’t change their drinking habits, Jeon and her colleagues found that two groups showed an increased risk of dementia: drinkers who started drinking more and those who stopped drinking altogether.
Still, the researchers do not recommend drinking to prevent Alzheimer’s. The disadvantages of alcohol for your health are too great for that.
Alcohol is known to damage brain cells and impair memory and other functions.