drinking

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of U.S. journal Archives of Neurology. Brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent per decade, accompanied by an increase in white matter lesions, according to background information in the article. Lower brain Read more...

The BEER PRAYER... Our Lager, Which art in barrels, Hallowed be thy drink. Thy will be drunk, I will be drunk, At home as it is in the tavern. Give us this day our foamy head, and forgive us our spillages, as we forgive those who spill against us. And lead us not to incarceration, But deliver us from hangovers. For Thine is the beer, Read more...

For decades, alcohol has been the preventive drug of choice for many people, for better or for worse -- after all, it offers some protection from heart attacks and may keep strokes, dementia and diabetes at bay. So when Kaiser Permanente researchers released a study showing alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing breast cancer, a lot of women were thrown for a loop. Read more...

Harvard Health Letters QUESTION: Two of my friends suffer from kidney stones. Each was advised to give up tea. I drink a lot of tea. Am I in danger of getting kidney stones? ANSWER: Your kidneys get rid of excess minerals -- calcium and potassium, for example -- from the bloodstream. Various compounds in the urine prevent the minerals and other substances from sticking together, but sometimes Read more...

A study of older Japanese people living in Japan, Hawaii and Seattle has found that drinking fruit and vegetable juices reduced the risk of Alzheimer's. In a large epidemiological study, Dr. Qi Dai found that people who drank three or more servings of fruit and vegetable juices per week had a 76-percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who drank juice less than once per Read more...

Coffee gives drinkers more than a quick pick-me-up -- it may also help protect them against heart disease. The findings come from a study carried out by the University of Minnesota and suggest that drinking one to three cups a day may be good for you. Scientist Dr. David Jacobs said, "The findings tend to suggest that there may be some benefit to drinking modest amounts of Read more...

A gentleman of uncertain years and few resources is courting a wealthy widow, and one day he tells a friend that he may marry the woman. "I'm told she is very puritanical," the friend says. "If you marry her, you will probably have to quit smoking and drinking and enjoying nights out at the tavern." "Yes, that's true," the aging suitor replies. "But if I don't Read more...

The doctor has just finished giving a man in his ThirdAge a thorough physical examination. "The best thing for you to do," the doctor says, "is to give up drinking and smoking, get to bed early, and stay away from women." "Doc, I don't deserve the best," says the patient. "What's next best?"   - - - - -   Read more...