Old, Moderate Drinkers Are Brainier

If you’re 75 years or older and enjoy the occasional cocktail, there’s no reason to give it up for your brain’s sake. Research in Germany shows that senior citizens who imbibe a drink or two a day get less dementia than teetotalers.

The study of more than 3,000 Germans found that there was 30 percent less overall dementia and 40 percent less Alzheimer’s dementia in drinkers than non-drinkers.

According to researcher Harvey Finkel, who reviewed the study, “The badge of age is not a warning label of fragility. While, I believe, one should not start to drink just because one has attained seniority, neither must one stop! Elderly folks handle alcohol with more responsibility than do the young, and they may derive greater health benefits from moderate drinking. Age is not a reason for abstinence.”