We know that imbibing excessive amounts of alcohol damages the brain, but a new preliminary study suggests that light or moderate amounts might help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

A Swedish research team looked at findings from 125 males enrolled in the Helsinki Autopsy Study, who were between the ages of 35 and 70 at the time of their death. Their goal was to evaluate the consumption of different alcoholic beverages – beer, wine, and spirits – and the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Such plaques are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, although it isn’t known if they cause the brain disorder or are a marker for it.

Surviving relatives answered a questionnaire used to gather the drinking history of the deceased, and the researchers also measured the amount of beta-amyloid in the sections of the subject’s brain. 

The researchers say their findings suggest that beer consumption may protect against the aggregation of beta-amyloid in the brain. In addition, they found that the amount of alcohol consumed, or its type, was not linked with the formation of beta-amyloid plaques.

The study, which appears in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, shows the need for further research identify early and mid-life factors that may stimulate or protect against beta-amyloid plaque accumulation, the researchers say.