UPFRONT

Why we’re told alcohol is more dangerous than it really is

A glass or two of alcohol can help us live longer when we reach the age of 65—but it can take years off the lives of younger drinkers, say researchers, who think this explains the contradictory health advice we’ve been getting about drinking.

More than a third of all deaths from alcoholism happen to people between 20 and 49 years old—and so when medical researchers recruit older people for their studies, the ‘problem drinkers’ may already have died.

As a result, modest drinking becomes a health benefit in people over 65, and accounts for half the lives that are ‘saved’ through drinking, such as from improved heart health. Less than 15 percent of lives lost through excessive alcohol drinking occur in this age group.

So, despite the dire warnings from our health guardians that even one sip of alcohol can send us to an early grave, modest drinking comes with a “relatively low risk,” say researchers from the Boston Medical Center, especially as we get older.

J Stud Alcohol Drugs, 2019; 80: 63–8

You don’t need a pill—psychological placebos work, too

All placebos work—and that’s true for the psychological type as well, researchers have found. Placebo pills are often found to be as effective as the drug they're compared against—suggesting it’s the mind or perception of the person that matters more than the chemical agent—and the same is just as true for purely psychological placebos, when nothing is physically being taken. Researchers from the University of Basel tested the theory on a group of 421 people, who were shown the color green in a series of video experiments. However, some saw the color without explanation, while others saw it with a narrative that the colour was calming and had a positive effect on emotions. Those who heard the narrative reported a greater sense of wellbeing afterwards, and these positive feelings lasted for a week.

Sci Rep, 2019; 9: 1421

MUSHROOMS PROTECT AGAINST MEMORY LOSS

Mushrooms can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 64 percent—as WDDTY’s March issue revealed—and they can also keep you mentally sharp as you get older.

Just two servings a week reduce the risk of mild cognitive decline (MCI)—such as occasional memory loss or lapses in concentration—by around 50 percent. MCI is generally seen as early-stage dementia.

Although nobody is quite sure why mushrooms have such a therapeutic effect, researchers think it has to do with a compound called ergothioneine, which is found in most types of mushroom.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore studied the effects of various mushrooms—such as golden, oyster, shiitake and white button—on a group of 663 people aged 60 and older for six years.

The researchers tested the group on a range of cognitive, language and visuospatial skills as well as recording how much and what types of mushrooms the participants were eating.

They discovered the optimum amount for MCI protection was one serving,