Gene Morphis ' View

Alcohol and Brain Health-Part I A few weeks ago, we warned of the risks of alcohol consumption, based on a study by the Department of Psychology at Oxford University. Five hundred fifty people were tracked over thirty years, with detailed records of their health maintained.   Anya Topiwala, PhD and Charlotte L. Allen, PhD led the project. From the study: “…even those drinking moderately had three times the odds of right sided hippocampal atrophy” Also from that study: “Light-to-moderate drinking has been associated with a lower risk of dementia and a reduced incidence of myocardial infarction and stoke. Brain imaging studies, however, have thus far failed to provide a convincing neural correlate that could underpin any protective benefit.” Link to study here . Further, the definition they used to determine a moderate amount were different than the old U.S. four once glass of wine, 1.5-ounce cocktail or ten-ounce beer. In all cases they were smaller. A half-pint of beer...

While you sleep, your glymphatic system shampoos your brain. It gives it a good cleaning and eliminates any toxins or bad stuff that has managed to slip in. Of course, your brain is performing an endless number of other functions as well. But the cleaning function is different in that it only is performed while you sleep. And if you don’t sleep enough, well, you’re trying to do your waking tasks with a clogged-up, messy, dirty brain. It is possible- although speculative at this point- that there may be a link between inadequate sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. Enough’ s Enough How much sleep do you need? We came across a newsletter from the Cleveland Clinic with some information on appropriate amounts of sleep that referenced guidelines from a variety of sources including National Sleep Foundation, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Obviously, infants and babies sleep most of the time, furthermore, they need to. Toddlers (ages 1-3) need 12...