X-Message-Number: 20320 Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 04:36:16 -0700 From: James Swayze <> Subject: Sticky beer bad Mother always said References: <> > Message #20316 > Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 21:43:34 -0700 > Subject: Beer is better than wine > From: (Tim Freeman) > > This Yahoo story claims that beer drinking correlates positively with > dementia in old age, and wine drinking correlates negatively. > Correlation isn't causation, but in the absence of any better evidence > it's prudent to prefer wine, since you don't want dementia. > > http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=571&e=20&u=/nm/20021014/hl_nm/dementia_alcohol_dc > "Beer is better than wine"? Tim, don't you mean wine? :) The article points out something that brings back memories for me of my mother's early warnings... [begin quote] The study cannot prove that wine intake prevents dementia--some other lifestyle factor could be responsible for the association. However, Truelsen explained in an interview that red wine contains substances known as flavonoids, antioxidants that help protect blood vessels from harmful substances called free radicals. Free radicals are naturally occurring particles that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, a type of dementia that results from a reduction in the supply of blood to the brain. [end quote] ...chiefly that last line. She always warned me not to drink beer because as she put it, "Beer is sticky and clogs the blood, sticking red blood cells together thus starving the brain of oxygen... the high is partly anoxia". I don't know where she got her information from and it might be totally wrong as to mechanisms but the above study would suggest the result predicted was spot on. As a general rule I don't drink. I'm not sure if it is due to my medications or my diabetes but even a few sips causes me to get flushed and have referral pains that indicate a real bad gut ache. I have been able to have a single beer (good for flushing the pipes) once in a great while with less of these symptoms but wine, no way. I guess the beer's out of the question now to... oh well. It is a shame though that I can't enjoy the flavonoids benefits of wine. Anyone aware of a non high calorie non carbohydrate/sugar high in flavonoids substitute? James -- Cryonics Institute of Michigan Member! The Immortalist Society Member! The Society for Venturism Member! MY WEBSITE: http://www.geocities.com/~davidpascal/swayze/ While there follow the links to photos of me and some of my artwork and a radio interview on Dr. J's ChangeSurfer Radio program with me and the father of cryonics Prof. Robert Ettinger, author of "The Prospect of Immortality". A RELIGION I actually recommend: http://www.venturist.org A FAVORITE quote: Last lines of the first Star Trek the Next Generation movie. Capt. Picard: "What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived, after all Number One, we're only mortal." Will Ryker: "Speak for yourself captain, I intend to live forever!" Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=20320