Dr. Jeon Geun-hye’s research team at Cha Medical Center in Gumi
Studies have shown that drinking 1-2 drinks a day reduces the risk of developing dementia. On the other hand, drinking more than that increased the risk of dementia.
On the 6th (local time), CNN reported the results of this research by Dr. Jeon Geun-hye’s research team at Cha Hospital in Gumi. The research team surveyed the amount of alcohol consumed by 4 million Koreans over the age of 40. Demographic factors such as gender and level of exercise, whether or not the amount of alcohol was maintained during the study period, and whether or not there were serious illnesses were also thoroughly investigated, and the responses of those who meets certain conditions.
The research team divided the alcohol into three groups: light drinkers if less than 15 g per day, moderate drinkers if less than 15 to 30 g, and heavy drinkers if more than 30 g.
As a result, those who drank less than one drink a day had a 21% lower risk of dementia, and those who drank less than two drinks a day had a 17% lower risk. However, those who drank 3 or more drinks a day had an 8% higher chance of developing dementia.
The research team and experts said via CNN, “It won’t be effective for people who don’t drink during the week and then suddenly drink more than 5 cups on weekends.”” he said. Then, he strongly warned, “Don’t start drinking or stop drinking,” and “This needs to be considered as a research result only and taken with caution.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking too much alcohol can be a fatal risk factor for developing cancer, and over time, drinking too much can lead to digestive problems, heart and liver disease, high blood pressure , stroke, and a weakened immune system.
The study was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Network Open).
Lee Ye-ji, Donga.com reporter leeyj@donga.com
