Introduction

Here is an old saying that goes like this "If you like honey, don't take too much". This is also applicable to alcohol "If you like alcohol, don't take too much". Research has shown that excessive consumption of alcohol leads to impairment of an individual's cognitive abilities and motor skills; and it is also associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The reason I did this work, is to inform dear friends and my fellow steemians that ironically, low levels of alcohol consumption is associated with lesser risk of Alzheimer's disease. I know what you are thinking, how can the excessive consumption of alcohol be the cause of a disease, and low intake of alcohol be associated with lesser risk of the same disease. This is exactly the case dear steemians, and that is why I did this work. So stick with me as I explain what this is all about. [Please note, I focused on Alzheimer's disease, as it is the most common type of dementia and I ensured that this work was detail oriented and brief, because I know how boring lengthy works could be].

Source-Pixabay

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is a colourless volatile flammable liquid which is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars and is the intoxicating constituent of wine, spirits, beers, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel.
In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which the hydroxyl functional group is bound to a saturated carbon atom. The term alcohol orginally referred to the primary alcohol (ethyl alcohol), which is used as a drug and is the main alcohol present in alcoholc beverages.

Source-Pixabay - Structure of an alcohol (Ethanol)

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss and cognitive decline. It is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases of dementia. The disease is well known to be caused by excessive alcohol consumption of alcohol.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Early Stage Alzheimer's disease -

• Some confusion in situations outside the familiar
• Forgets names of family or friends
• Changes may only be noticed by close friends and relatives
• Not remembering episodes of forgetfulness

Middle Stage Alzheimer's disease-

• Trouble knowing where they are
• Greater difficulty remembering recently learned information
• Deepening confusion in many circumstances
• Problems with sleep

Late Stage of Alzheimer's disease-

• Repeats same conversations
• Problems speaking
• More abusive, anxious, or paranoid
• Poor ability to think

Source-Pixabay

How is Low Alcohol Intake Good for the Brain?

Low alcohol intake is good for the brain because it increases the efficiency of the glymphatic system, which is the brain's unique cleaning process. The glymphatic system pumps cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) into brain tissue and flushes away waste, such as the proteins beta amyloid and tau that are associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Low alcohol intake specifically lessens the inflammation of cells called astrocytes, which are major regulators of the glymphatic system. As a result, this leads to increase in cognitive abilities and motor skills. Hence, low doses of alcohol is associated with a lesser risk of Alzheimer's disease and appears to improve the overall health of the brain.

Conclusion

It has therefore been seen from the explanation I gave above; that alcohol, which is the very cause of Alzheimer's disease , is also associated with lesser risk of the same disease, when consumed at low levels. Just like it is with sugar; sugar is the main source of energy to man. We need sugar (Sucrose and table sugar) to survive, yet too much of it is very dangerous to our health and can even lead to death. Therefore, on one hand, low levels of alcohol consumption helps the brain clear away toxins such as beta amyloid, as a result reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. While, on the other hand, excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of cognitive decline and memory loss.

References-
What is alcohol?
What is Alzheimer's disease?
Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
Alcohol and the brain

Images- Pixabay

Thanks for reading!

For more Scientific-related content follow steemstem