Here's a look at some of the top health news being talked about around the U.S. and the world today:

• In a study many women may raise their glass to, researchers suggest women who drink alcohol lightly to moderately may gain less weigh and have a lower risk of becoming overweight than women who do not drink at all or those who drink too much.

• Researchers have suspected for years that a protein in the brain, beta amyloid, was the bad guy when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. But the New York Times reported that a new study suggests protein might actually be part of the brain's "normal defenses" against bacteria and other microbes.

• In other Alzheimer's disease news on Tuesday, it was reported in USA Today that minorities are "particularly vulnerable" as they grow older to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

• A new study published this week suggests folks could self-screen themselves for psychiatric disorders by answering a 27-item questionnaire, the Los Angeles Times reported. It doesn't suggest the test, which takes less than five minutes to fill out, should replace a doctor's diagnosis but could be helpful at identifying illness. Check out the questionnaire for yourself.

• People's racial and ethnic backgrounds play a big role in how they sleep and what they do in the hour before they head to bed, which can impact how good a night's rest a person receives, according to a new study reported by CNN.

Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.