Drinking Alcohol After the Age of 60 May Sharpen Memory

Alcohol has always been under the radar because of its toxic health effects like hypertension, memory impairment, anxiety and brain damage. But a new study suggests something different. Drinking alcohol in moderate quantities after the age of 60 may actually help sharpen your memory. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, University of Kentucky, and University of Maryland found that for those aged 60 and above (do not have dementia), moderate drinking can improve episodic memory, which is the ability to remember certain events.According to Faika Zanjani, associate professor of behavioral and community health at the University of Maryland, "Over time, you don't necessarily lose memory for [how to do] things, like driving or having coffee. You usually lose memory of events -- memories that you have to retrieve, instead of just use. It's not just forgetting your keys. It's forgetting key moments in your life."The study published in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias discovered that moderate alcohol consumption was linked with a larger hippocampus, a brain region critical for episodic memory. According to Brian Downer, lead study author from the University of Texas' medical branch at Galveston, "Adults who are able to continue consuming alcohol into old age are healthier, and, therefore, have higher cognition and larger regional brain volumes, than people who had to decrease their alcohol consumption due to unfavourable health outcomes." For the study, researchers used data from more than 660 patients in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. These patients completed surveys on their alcohol consumption and demographics, a battery of neuropsychological assessments. Researchers also analysed their risk factors for Alzheimer's and took scans of their brains.Researchers concluded that even though moderate consumption can sharpen memory in later life, extended period of binge drinking should still be avoided. With inputs from IANS