Moderate Drinking Lowers Risk for Dementia

 by Dr. Victor Marchione

 This health e-letter contains some good news for all the wine lovers out there. According to researchers at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may lower the risk of dementia.

The research team analyzed data from more than 365,000 people who took part in 143 studies conducted since 1977. They found that wine appeared more beneficial than beer or spirits. Moderate drinkers were 23% less likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and a general decline in thinking skills. So what's the definition of a "moderate drinker?" A general rule of thumb would be a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

According to the researchers, the protective effect of moderate drinking remained after they factored in age, education, sex and smoking. They noted, too, that the effects of alcohol were the same in men and women. One more interesting bit of health news from the study: the association between moderate drinking and reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment was statistically significant in 14 of 19 countries, including the United States.

The study authors can't explain why moderate drinking may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, but one suggestion is that alcohol might improve blood flow in the brain, thereby boosting brain metabolism.

Another theory is that small amounts of alcohol may make brain cells more fit by slightly "stressing them out" and giving the cells practice at coping before being asked to deal with major stress. It is thought that subjecting brain cells to major levels of stress can eventually cause dementia.

One cautionary note: the researchers aren't suggesting that non-drinkers start drinking. Get your doctor's advice about your nutritional health Make sure moderate drinking doesn't negatively impact any health issues you may have before you start drinking that glass of wine with dinner every night.



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Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Moderate-Drinking-Lowers-Risk-for-Dementia/265605

Meteorological Research

The important role of water

There is an ongoing effort by scientists all over the globe to better understand changes in the water cycle and many of them use processes where oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in water is measured which provides them with very useful information in understanding the surrounding issues.
A lot of this research is done on the island Hawaii which is in effect a typical tropical and water rich environment. There are also a lot of Marine species such as sea turtles and all of these factors make this destination the ideal habitat for scientists that are interested in climate change to study the humidity of the atmosphere and also to gain a better understanding of exactly what leads to the dehydration of our atmosphere.

In this regard the very high Mauna Loa which reaches to a height of 11,000 feet allows climate scientists to better analyze water vapor that has traveled for very long distances, even from the poles and the equator. Studies which are done in this location allow scientists to measure the vapor’s chemical signature and by doing so they are able to gain a significantly better understanding of the processes that are governing the water cycles of this planet.

There are widespread agreement in scientific circles that Hawaii provides the ideal location for extensive meteorological studies and it is virtually impossible to obtain the same results in any other location. Because of the very high elevation of Mauna Loa it is possible to trace air which has been moistened literally hundreds of kilometers from Hawaii. This elevated position provides the scientists with the ideal location which places them in the boundary between that low clouds and the clear skies above. This allows for very accurate measurements that provides amazing insight into the meteorological conditions of the planet.

The significance of Mauna Loa was understood for 50 years 

Scientists that were interested in understanding meteorology and climate change have identified Mauna Loa 50 years ago and initially it was chosen especially for the first continuous carbon dioxide measurements. It was this studies that clearly indicated that global concentrations of carbon dioxide was sharply increasing. Because of the overwhelming evidence of climate change and the greenhouse phenomena it has become increasingly more important to gain first-hand experience of all meteorological changes which are observed on this planet.

It is a well-known fact that it’s not only carbon dioxide that are playing an important role in the climate of this planet but water vapor are equally important because of its ability to radiate and to trap heat thereby keeping the planet warmer. This is exactly why it is important to understand the elements and the factors that controlling atmospheric humidity since only when all of this knowledge has been gathered will it be possible to calculate the severity of future global warming.

It has been a well-known fact for many years the carbon dioxide is playing a very important role in the climate change which are experienced all over the globe but it is also becoming increasingly clear that many of the changes which are experienced are because of changes in the water cycle as well as the amount of vaporization in the air all around us.