We Always Knew It - Wine is Neuroprotective

A study from Norway, reported in the Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, provides further support for the results from other studies showing that mild-to-moderate wine drinking has a protective effect against cognitive decline.

The Norwegian researchers studied over 5,000 stroke-free men and women having an average age of 58.  During the 7-years of the study, cognitive function was assessed, together with self-reports of intake of beer, wine, and spirits.

Eleven percent of the men and 23% of the women were teetotalers; 20% of the men and 30% of the women had a low alcohol intake (less than 1 glass every 14 days). And 1.9% of men and 0.2% of women had a median alcohol intake – 1 drink/14 days in women and 3/14 days in men.

When cognitive function was assessed after 7 years’ follow-up, moderate wine consumption was associated with better performance on all cognitive tests in both men and women.  However, there was no clear benefit linked to consumption of beer and spirits; moderate beer consumption in men was linked to better scores on 2 of the 3 tests of cognitive function, but these results were considered inconclusive, overall.  Women abstaining from alcohol during the follow-up period had significantly worse cognitive function than those with light alcohol consumption. 

It’s always satisfactory to get a large, well-designed study that confirms something we know, or think we know, from earlier work – especially when it’s good news for wine lovers.