Doctor reveals exact age you should consider permanently stopping drinking alcohol
If you've been thinking about giving up drinking, you might be interested to know that a doctor has revealed the age you should pack it in.
We all know that alcohol isn't exactly good for us, right? But as you start to age, it has more of a long-term effect on your health.
So much so that one expert has pinpointed the time when it may be wiser to ditch the sauce altogether.
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And there's a really good reason why.
Removing alcohol from your diet completely can help prevent the development of dementia.
The Alzheimer's Society states that research shows that excessive alcohol consumption increases the chances that someone can develop dementia.
Drinking directly correlates to a reduced volume of your brain's white matter, which can stop your brain from functioning normally.
Dr Richard Restak, author of How to Prevent Dementia: An Expert’s Guide to Long-Term Brain Health has described how alcohol can impact your brain function. He describes booze as a 'direct neurotoxin'.
A neurotoxin can be defined as a substance that damages, destroys or impairs the function of the nervous system.
Because of the damage that booze can cause, Dr Restak has revealed an age where you should aim to cut it out of your life for good.
“Ask yourself, ‘why do I drink?’ If the answer is ‘because alcohol helps me to elevate my mood and lower my anxiety,’ you may be at some peril, and it’s probably best to stop altogether,” he wrote.
“I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet."
There is a type of dementia that is associated with the overconsumption of alcohol.
Dementia UK explains: "Alcohol related brain damage (also known as alcohol related brain impairment) is caused by drinking alcohol excessively over a prolonged period of time.
"It can be caused by a combination of reasons including vitamin B1 deficiency (thiamine), the toxic effects of alcohol on nerve cells, head injury and blood vessel damage."
Alcohol-related brain damage can be prevented by lowering your alcohol intake to no more than 14 units per week, spread across at least three days.
Increasing physical and mental activity; having a healthy diet; avoiding smoking; managing stress levels and keeping weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check are also important factors.
Topics: Health, Food And Drink
Lucy Devine