Red Wine May Help Prevent Alzheimer's

A new study finds that moderate red wine consumption, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon, might help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

Previous Alzheimer's research has indicated similar potential benefits of red wine [video report].

The new research, done only on mice, will be detailed in the November 2006 issue of the FASEB Journal and will be presented at the Society for Neuroscience Meeting next month in Atlanta.

"This study supports epidemiological evidence indicating that moderate wine consumption, within the range recommended by the FDA dietary guidelines of one drink per day for women and two for men, may help reduce the relative risk for AD [Alzheimer's disease] clinical dementia," write Giulio Maria Pasinetti and Jun Wang of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Alzheimer's affects about 4.5 million Americans. There is no cure nor even any effective prevention strategy. In recent years, however, scientists are finding hints that diet, exercise and mental workouts have the potential to delay the disease's onset.

Sufferers have elevated levels of a peptide called beta-amyloid, which causes plaque buildup in the brain. The new study found that Cabernet Sauvignon "significantly reduced AD-type deterioration of spatial memory function" in the mice.

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