Could a glass of wine or beer help prevent AD, then?
Several epidemiologic studies have examined this question. They have found that moderate alcohol consumption was not associated with impaired cognitive function and actually is correlated with reduced risk of cognitive decline and AD (Bond et al., 2004; Evans and Bienias, 2005; Ganguli et al., 2005; Luchsinger et al., 2004; Stampfer et al., 2005). As with heart disease, the beneficial effect of alcohol on cognitive abilities may occur because alcohol can reduce inflammatory proteins and increase HDL. Animal research also has linked certain compounds with beneficial effects on the brain. For example, a team of researchers at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Institute for Medical Research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), found in test-tube studies that resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound mainly found in grapes and red wine, markedly lowered the level of beta-amyloid in cells (Marambaud et al., 2005). Resveratrol did not inhibit the production of beta
