Wine is worse for brain than beer, scientists reveal in blow for women drinkers

source: Dail Mail UK19)

They say it particularly affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory and spatial awareness, and one of the first areas to be affected by Alzheimer's disease.

It could explain why millions forget what they are doing mid-task, or arrive in a room only to forget why they went there in the first place.

Scroll down for more...

Beer better for brain: Wine shrinks the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory

The findings will come as a particular blow to middle-class drinkers ? many of whom drink wine for its supposed health benefits.

Women, who tend to drink more wine than beer, are also more likely to be affected.

Recent figures show 36 per cent of women in pubs drink wine, compared to only 21 per cent of men.

Writing in the medical journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, the psychiatrists behind the study compared brain scans from diagnosed alcoholics with those from healthy adults.

They found the hippocampus, which is located deep within the brain's temporal lobes, was up to 10 per cent smaller in those who drank

The team of psychiatrists behind the study said: "This is the first study investigating the impact of the type of preferred beverage on brain-volume shrinkage in patients with alcohol dependence."

The study compared brain scans from diagnosed alcoholics with those from healthy adults.

In non-alcoholics the hippocampus was 3.85ml.

In beer drinkers it was 3.4ml, in spirit drinkers 2.9ml and for wine drinkers it was the smallest, just 2.8ml.

The hippocampus is located deep within the brain's temporal lobes and is also one of the first areas of the brain to be affected by Alzheimer's disease.

Memory, navigation and spatial awareness can all be affected, and it can also cause feelings of disorientation.

The researchers at Germany's G?ttingen University found that beer drinkers also had the lowest levels of a compound in the blood called homocysteine.

Other studies have shown the compound is linked to higher rates of heart disease, strokes, brain atrophy and dementia.

One theory is that two of the ingredients in beer, B vitamins and folate, may help to break down homocysteine.

Moderate wine drinking has been linked to a host of health benefits, including reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure. Resveratol, a molecule found in the skin of red grapes, has been associated with health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease, strokes and some cancers.

But research in the International Journal of Cancer last year claimed just one glass of wine a day could increase the risk of bowel cancer by 10 per cent, and over-consumption of any alcohol can lead to increased risk of kidney and liver disease, long-term brain damage and organ failure.

ADVERTISEMENT

Iconocast is about learning and teaching without borders; we offer eMarketing, Internet Advertising, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Online Branding, and eMarketing News Services.

Iconocast Home Page

Contact Iconocast

Iconocast Health Articles

© 2003-07. ICONOCAST is a trademark of iconocast.com.