If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

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Gilgamesh
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by Gilgamesh »

Michael,

One more quick thing: I think there's reason to believe that alcohol is much worse for 4/4s than for heterozygotes. Don't know what your status is (sorry if I missed it). I'm on the road so it's hard for me to dig up notes and research papers that would back up my hunch, but if you're only a heterozygote, a drink or even two a few times a week might not be so bad at all. I might be offline for a spell but I want to take a look at what new research has come out about ethanol and APOE status when I come up for air.

General point: Myself, I'm really leaning towards a kind of "millennial" view of the period commencing 10-15 years from now, but with the acknowledgement that the beginning "reign of holiness" could also be unholy: most of our medical risks will have been obviated by advances in medical research, or -- the unholy -- advances in AI research will have enabled Google Now or Siri or something to become self-aware and destroy us. The likelihood (as I see it) of either one of those outcomes makes me not sweat decisions like "Should have a second shot of whiskey tonight?" :) Small potatoes compared to the Big Transformations awaiting humanity.

Un abrazo fuerte,
G
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by Fc1345linville »

Wait a minute. The question is "If you choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?" All of the answers seem to be addressing a different question: "which is best for your health?" :-)

I have almost 60 years of experience, and opinions, regarding which is best, and of course it is a matter of personal taste. But seriously, based on what I know today, I would like to think I would have abstained altogether, had I known it back then.
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by MAC »

60 yrs of experience and assuming you didn't inbib before age of majority, I'd say you 're doing OK. Past the point of abstinence....don't look back! :D
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by circular »

I sometimes add cranberry concentrate to Pellegrino. Very low sugar if you don't use too much and sans any alcohol. Cranberries are also supposed to have resveratrol. Grape concentrate has a lot more sugar.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Stavia
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by Stavia »

Single malts is my poison....actually I have drastically cut back on my alcohol. Its doing things to my brain that most likely aren't good. So very seldom now on special occasions like a party.
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

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Thanks, Everybody! Really helpful suggestions. Yeah, I've learned that they're all pretty low when it comes to sugar - which I'm trying to avoid. So it's mostly been beer and a mixed drink (with sparkling water.) But I have cut down quite a bit.

And G -- I am not Apoe4 but I have taken a hit memory wise over the last 6 years. I'm 50. And I'm just not ready to give up drinking. Cut down, sure, but once (or maybe twice) a week I do find myself indulging. Cheers to you. Hope you're well. - Michael
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by hairyfairy »

I think that having apoe4 means having to give up so much that other genotypes don`t have to it`s very unfair, we aren`t supposed to eat fat, sugar or even artificial sweeteners, & now we can`t even have the odd alcoholic drink? Iv`e decided that as I didn`t choose my genetics, I`m entitled to get some fun out of life so I`ll continue to have a few drinks now & again because no amount of restrictions are going to change the fact that no matter what mylifestyle I won`t become immortal.
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by mike »

udeskym wrote:Thanks, Everybody! Really helpful suggestions. Yeah, I've learned that they're all pretty low when it comes to sugar - which I'm trying to avoid. So it's mostly been beer and a mixed drink (with sparkling water.) But I have cut down quite a bit.
For diabetics, generally, red wine has the least affect on blood sugars, while beer has a lot of carbs, and should be avoided. Straight hard liquor, sugar wise is fine, as long as you aren't mixing it with something like coke or orange juice. Alcohol is a poison, and your body works hard to break it down. While doing that, your liver is not doing other useful stuff.
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by Torimintz »

So, I keep hearing that 2 glasses of red wine a day is totally fine... unless you are ill and are advanced Alzheimer's over 70.
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Re: If you should choose to drink alcohol -- which is best?

Post by frankiesfriend »

A few months ago I read a review article on alcohol risks and Alzheimer's. I was particularly interested in studies that teased out differences, if any, related to genetics. I found it interesting that there were many research articles that indicated no increased risk of AD with light to moderate alcohol consumption, even in APOE4+. I chased down some of the cited studies for further reading to find out if those participants were just too young to have AD, or if they were tremendously fit, or if moderate drinking actually meant "rarely", or if they all lived on the island of Ikaria - but could see nothing that would indicate why in certain (many) studies, no increased risk was observed. However, my simmering concern about AD has compelled me to make many changes to my diet in the last few years, and one of those was to decrease alcohol consumption to two drinks, no more than once or twice a week. Like some of you have written, I believe I have given up a lot of my favorite foods, and I am reluctant to abstain completely from alcohol. However, I do believe that poor sleep is a contributing factor in AD, and alcohol is well-known to disrupt sleep, and it definitely does for me. Knowing that alcohol negatively affects my sleep keeps me from indulging as much as I would like, so I have given up on the idea that two glassed of red wine daily is healthy for me. Soon, I hope to know my APOE status, and that may help shape my thinking going forward, but is is unlikely that I will take up daily drinking, given the noticeable effects on my sleep. I am always interested in the insight and experiences of others looking for the right balance.
E3/E4, My mother was diagnosed with AD at age 73, my age on my next birthday.
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