Alcohol consumption may lower risk of ALS

The risk of the rare neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been found to be markedly lower among consumers of alcohol than among abstainers.

However it is increased among smokers, a population-based case-control study has revealed.

Researchers found that the difference in risk of ALS among drinkers was about half that of non-drinkers.

“The results in this study are astonishing in this mysterious disease. One should expect that alcohol, as a toxic agent, rather should contribute to the development of ALS than to prevent it. The lower risk among drinkers compared with non-drinkers is remarkable,” one researcher said.

The studies authors cautioned that the results of this paper should not be used to prompt people to consume alcohol just to prevent ALS, as it is such a rare disease.