What can you do to protect yourself against developing Alzheimer's disease? A new Spanish study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may be one way to reduce risk.

Researchers at the University of Valencia interviewed 246 healthy people and the relatives of 176 Alzheimer's patients of the same age and gender mix about their health and lifestyle factors. They discovered that light to moderate drinking had a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease, especially among women who were nonsmokers.

"Our results suggest a protective effect of alcohol consumption, mostly in nonsmokers, and the need to consider interactions between tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as interactions with gender, when assessing the effects of smoking and/or drinking on the risk of AD," Ana Garcia, Ph.D., said in a statement. "Interactive effects of smoking and drinking are supported by the fact that both alcohol and tobacco affect brain neuronal receptors."

According to the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium, an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease. By 2030 the numbers of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's is expected to rise to 7.7 million unless more ways to prevent or effectively treat the disease are developed.