Neurologist warns there's a certain age you should stop drinking beer to prevent 'cognitive decline'

Beer, one of the world's most popular beverages, should be consumed with caution to prevent health issues and addiction. Neurologist Richard Restak highlights in his book "The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind" that too much beer can cause memory problems, cognitive decline, which could even lead to dementia. He points out that alcohol is a "very weak neurotoxin" that hampers brain function by interfering with neuron communication, SurreyLive reports.

Restak stresses the need to avoid alcohol after 65, an age when the body naturally loses neurons more quickly, which could worsen mental deterioration: "It is essential to abstain from alcohol at a stage in life where preserving neurons is crucial." He also mentions that for older adults, beer drinking can be especially risky due to accumulated damage, SurreyLive reports. This guidance is supported by the NHS, which characterises alcohol misuse as either harmful drinking or dependency.



To keep health risks low, the health service advises that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol each week. A single unit of alcohol is defined as eight grams or ten millilitres of pure alcohol, which amounts to approximately the contents of a standard drink. According to the NHS website: "Alcohol is a toxic chemical that can have a wide range of adverse effects on almost every part of your body.

"The effects of alcohol can vary. Sometimes you feel the effects almost instantly. Other times this can take longer and might be after you've had a few drinks.

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