{"id":9011,"date":"2016-04-09T07:18:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-09T12:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=9011"},"modified":"2017-09-19T13:13:24","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T18:13:24","slug":"red-wine-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/04\/red-wine-alzheimers\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Red Wine Prevent Alzheimer’s?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can Red Wine Prevent Alzheimer’s?\"Can<\/h1>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s is a disease that largely takes over the lives of its victims. Those who have seen a loved one succumb to Alzheimer\u2019s know the toll it can take on the lives of patients and their loved ones. <\/span><\/p>\n

Researchers know little at this point about what causes Alzheimer’s and what people can do to prevent it, which is why when any news comes out that may be useful \u2013 people pounce. And people especially like it when that research seems to suggest doing something they like anyway. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Research Linking Red Wine and \u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s<\/h2>\n

Red wine includes an <\/span>antioxidant called resveratrol<\/a><\/strong> that\u2019s been found to strengthen the brain and possibly slow the effects of Alzheimer\u2019s and vascular dementia. <\/span><\/p>\n

While there\u2019s not one clear cause of Alzheimer\u2019s, one of the factors that contributes to it is protein buildup in the brain. In a 2005 study, seniors that had been diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s were given a concentrated dose of resveratrol \u2013 equivalent to the amount you\u2019d get in 1,000 bottles of red wine \u2013 every day. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a year, those given the resveratrol showed no change in the amount of protein buildup in their brain associated with the progression of Alzheimer\u2019s \u2013 meaning the disease hadn\u2019t shown any real progression. Those that weren\u2019t given the dose progressed at the normal rate for Alzheimer\u2019s patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does The Research Really Mean?<\/h2>\n

To start, it doesn\u2019t mean that you should be drinking 1,000 bottles of red wine a day. Focusing on the link to red wine makes for good headlines, but it\u2019s not really what the study was about. Resveratrol and red wine aren\u2019t the same thing, the latter merely contains some of the former. <\/span><\/p>\n

And resveratrol\u2019s not specific to red wine. You\u2019ll also find it in a <\/span>number of other foods<\/a><\/strong> including grapes (predictably), blueberries, peanut butter, and dark chocolate, to name a few. But it\u2019s especially abundant in red wine and some experts believe people absorb more of it when they drink it since the alcohol makes it more soluble. <\/span><\/p>\n

None of the food or drink sources for resveratrol will provide you with the quantities the patients in the study consumed though. The only way to get that much resveratrol in your diet is take a supplement like the one they were given.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, in moderation, it certainly doesn\u2019t hurt to let foods and drinks with resveratrol into your diet. Just don\u2019t go overboard \u2013 any health effects you get from red wine (or chocolate or peanut butter or anything, really) are quickly offset by the health risks if you consume it to excess. <\/span><\/p>\n

What Else Can I Do?<\/h2>\n

If there was a secret to avoiding Alzheimer\u2019s completely, we\u2019d all be doing it by now. As it is, the best we can do is try to be healthy in ways that reduce the risk or slow down the onset.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re concerned about the possibility of Alzheimer\u2019s, <\/span>a few things you can try are<\/a><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n