re: Accelerates Brain Aging by One Week per Session

Almond — 2/8/2020 1:00:40 AM

Many cultures known for their vigor and vitality have consumed alcohol as a major part of their diet. It was a safe beverage where water was not clean and a good option to preserve the harvest in the days before canning lids. Various alcohols contain many nutritive properties, such as resveratrol, enzymes, possibly minerals, etc., depending on ingredients and how they were grown.

Wines were not traditionally high in alcohol, but some "beers" were. The birch beer ration for soldiers in early American colonial days was a common beverage in spite of rum for sailors. Hard liquor, yes, but this was not usually consumed routinely in huge quantities.

I drank huge amounts of alcohol when living in Europe as a student, when I was thirsty for water. However, we could not trust the old plumbing systems and aqueducts. I had no problem with intoxication and drunkenness was rarely seen in the local population.

I am not sure that using alcohol as a foodstuff or therapeutically is all that harmful. (Many beverages have been used therapeutically as restoratives, even to induce lactation after childbirth--beers. The monasteries favored mulled wine recipes. Etc.)

I think we need to look at present day manufacturing practices, ingredients and agricultural methods before we decide that alcohol is harmful. For example, take a look a the ingredients in a dacquiri, esp. the mixes used. Many cocktails are pure garbage. There was a case in Canada decades ago where heart attacks in men were linked to a certain brand of beer. Much of the soil ingredients are grown in is likely contaminated with chemicals even if the crops themselves are not heavily sprayed.

I don't think making mead from your hive would be a problem if your land and surrounding areas are truly organic. Likewise, wine made from your own orchard, vineyard or wild fruit.

There are now organic brands of alcohol of all types. I don't think you can go wrong with home brew, though.

-continued-

re: Accelerates Brain Aging by One Week per Session

seanomara2 — 2/7/2020 8:11:32 AM

It would be interesting to see if the study looked at different types of alcoholic beverages relative to this effect on brain atrophy. Would beer and alcohol be associated with greater atrophy well a red Cabernet Sauvignon associated possibly with a protective benefit? Brain atrophy is an a very important biometric which I follow by MRI As a Health & Performance Optimizing Physician.