The discovery is added to a growing number of research that indicate the health benefits of low doses of alcohol
While a couple of glasses of wine can help clear the mind after a busy day, new research shows that it can actually clean up the mind. The new study shows that low levels of alcohol calm inflammation and help the brain get rid of toxins, including those associated with Alzheimer's.
Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and principal author of the study, states: " It is known that prolonged consumption of excessive amounts of ethanol has adverse effects on the central nervous system. However, in this study we have shown for the first time that low doses of alcohol are potentially beneficial for brain health , in particular they improve the brain's ability to remove waste substances ".
The discovery is added to a growing number of research that indicate the health benefits of low doses of alcohol. While over-consumption poses a health risk, many studies have linked reduced doses of alcohol to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and fewer tumors . Nedergaard's study focuses on the glimpathic system , the only brain purification process that was first described in 2012 by Nedergaard and colleagues. They showed how cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is pumped into the brain tissue and wipes out waste substances.
In the new study, conducted on mice, high levels of molecular markers for inflammation, especially in the cells that regulate the glu- lhatic system, have been observed in the brains of animals exposed to high levels of alcohol for a long time. The impairment of cognitive skills and motor skills was also noted. Instead, animals exposed to low levels of alcohol, corresponding to about 2 and a half drinks a day, showed less inflammation and their glu- latic system was more efficient in flowing the CSF into the brain to remove waste substances. Furthermore, performance in cognitive and monitors tests was not altered.
Nedergaard concluded:
" The study showed that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of dementia , whereas drinking heavily for many years helps increase the risk of cognitive decline. This study shows that low-dose alcohol can improve overall brain health. "