Drinking a glass of wine daily 'helps ward off dementia'

Scientists have found that a daily cocktail or glass of wine could help delay dementia. Their research has shown that alcohol is an anti-inflammatory (inflammation promotes Alzheimer's) and raises good HDL cholesterol, which helps ward off dementia.

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre in North Carolina found that older people who had eight to 14 alcoholic drinks a week had a 37 per cent lower risk of dementia than non-drinkers. However, adults who go on occasional binges face a higher risk, reports the Daily Mail.

According to a Finnish study, adults who binged in midlife at least once a monthu00a0 -- drinking, for example, more than five bottles of beer or a bottle of wine at one sittingu00a0 -- were three times more likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer''s, 25 years later.