Wine and Alzheimer’s Disease

This article is by no means medical advice; for that, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider. This article, in fact, is designed to discuss the possible correlation between wine consumption and Alzheimer’s disease. Take it for nothing more than that.

Let’s address one thing first; Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia but not all dementias are from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Think of Dementia as being an umbrella term, the most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. The second most common is vascular dementia (or memory issues because of strokes – either silent or not). These are subsequently followed by frontotemporal dementia and Lewy-Body dementia as well as a few other subtypes.

When someone says I don’t have dementia, I have Alzheimer’s Disease, they are incorrect. But if someone says I have dementia, but it is not Alzheimer’s Disease, they could be correct. Did we follow all that? Great! Now that we established that, let’s move on.

One study out of the Mayo Clinic demonstrated that the cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a dysfunctional deposition of proteins, known as beta-amyloid and tau. The exact mechanism or the role that these proteins possess is not exactly clear, but the presence of these proteins has been found specific to Alzheimer’s disease.

For centuries, the health aspects of wine have been profusely debated. Hippocrates himself would often prescribe wine (yes, I said prescribe wine) as a sedative or even use it as an antimicrobial agent.

As discussed in The Wine Doctor (available anywhere books are sold), the French Paradox has also been widely discussed, especially regarding the amount of wine a person is recommended to consume. When discussing cardiovascular health, research recommends moderate wine consumption as opposed to little consumption or especially too much consumption.  But what about neurodegenerative disorders; and more specifically, what about Alzheimer’s disease?

Well, the literature is quite vague when it comes to its direct benefit if any at all. But there are studies that suggest light to moderate wine drinking did have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, a longitudinal study was conducted to investigate alcohol consumption in general and its relation to the development of dementia. This longitudinal study demonstrated that middle-aged, non-drinkers had a greater risk of developing dementia than middle-aged individuals who drank a moderate amount of alcohol.

AND --- AND

They discovered a “more pronounced effect evident in people WHO DRINK WINE.” Meaning that middle-aged wine drinkers had an even lower rate of developing dementia when compared to middle-aged non-drinkers.

Now, it is not all sunshine and rainbows here.

History and literature also suggest and discussed the health risks related to chronic alcohol abuse, especially regarding cognition.

Studies suggest that chronic alcohol consumption leads to liver disease, cardiac disease, and brain damage with time. In fact, chronic alcohol use can be linked to cognitive disorders and linked to not just functional brain disease but also structural issues.

And do not get me started on drinking before the age of 20. Literature suggests drinking early in life will lead to frontal and temporal lobe dysfunction in the brain which leads to memory and cognitive impairments as we age.

Several studies (including The French Paradox) attributed the health aspects of wine to be from a polyphenol called resveratrol which comes from grape seeds and stems. Therefore, this polyphenol is primarily found in red wine because white wine production has little to no contact with the grape skin or seed. Polyphenols are believed to be a protective agent against inflammation in the body and given its ability to cross the blood brain barrier, also the brain. This is exactly why people will find over-the-counter supplements that suggest health benefits with grape seed extract or resveratrol.

Remember the amyloid and tau proteins discussed earlier? One study suggests that resveratrol disrupts the amyloid cascade and tau deposition which is one of the presumed underlying causes for the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.

As discussed in The Wine Doctor (again, anywhere books are sold), resveratrol is better absorbed (almost 15 times more) sublingually or under the tongue as opposed to when completely swallowed.

Knowing this fact, let me ask, how beneficial is a pill of resveratrol then? I would guess it is arguably 15 times less beneficial than a sublingual substance. Wouldn’t you? The truth is, we do not truly know.

And though studies suggest excessive wine consumption is bad for brain health, there are many studies to suggest that moderate consumption can function as a neuroprotective element. However, the data is still conflicted because some studies still suggest no alcohol consumption is the best medicine. In fact, recent data suggests even drinking a small amount of alcohol increases a person’s risk for certain cancers.

So, the moral of this story is that more evidence and data is needed to help us understand if wine is protective or harmful.

Studies also need to help us determine how much specifically we should be consuming (if any at all)?

What style (red, white, or sparkling) of wine is best to consume?

How much should be consumed depending on lifestyles, activity, other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease?

Though studies do suggest it to be protective and lower a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease, we need more studies and to obtain more data before we at Vanny’s Vineyards can make any recommendations.

Thankfully, more research is being performed looking into the amyloid and tau proteins and their involvement in cognition. Additionally, medications have also been recently approved that also impact amyloid and tau protein depositions. So the future, theoretically, is bright and as more data is obtained, we will be here to help interpret the findings.

So please, before starting/stopping any supplements or consuming more wine than you already are consuming, talk with your physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

Cheers