特别推荐：海外华人眼中的春节   2007年情人节特辑

我们常说饮酒有害身体健康，然而根据最新的医学研究发现，每天适量饮酒可能会使患阿尔茨海默氏(早老性痴呆)或其它类型痴呆症的危险减少一半，这又该作如何解释呢？

Daily, moderate drinking could almost halve the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, according to new research.

The finding adds to a growing body of evidence for the health benefits of moderate drinking, which is already known to protect against heart disease and stroke.

The study, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, also found that it doesn't seem to matter what people drink - the effect is the same.

Experts say moderation - between one and three drinks a day - is the key.

The adverse effect of excess alcohol is beyond question.

Researchers suggested the blood-thinning and cholesterol-lowering properties of ethanol in alcohol may ward off dementia, which is often caused by a blood vessel problem.

Another possibility, the study speculated, is that low levels of alcohol could stimulate the release acetylcholine, a brain chemical believed to facilitate learning and memory.

（北京林业大学通讯员邢元媛供稿 英语点津 Annabel 编辑）