When I was in my late teens, I was afraid to drink any alcohol because someone told me it kills brain cells. I’ve never seen any scientific studies addressing this notion and a brief look on the internet has yielded nothing but vague references and unsupported statements. Alchohol consumption by pregnant mothers kills brain cells in the fetus at a crucial stage of development, but what about the effects on the brain cells of the drinker him- or herself?
I’m wondering if moderate drinking - i.e. a glass of red wine a day - truly does kill brain cells? My gut feeling (childhood fears aside) seems to be that this is unlikely but I have nothing to back this feeling up. Any references or additional information would be much appreciated.
I used to work in a hospital and attended some classes on alcoholism. They had documented evidence that alcohol does kill brain cells, but the damage done is not excessive unless the drinking is excessive.
From my studies, on the issue, SOME people cannot be moderate drinkers or occasional drinkers. These people face several health issues such as liver failure, kidney failure, etc.
We DID have a couple of cases of old men, whose brains were so affected, by excessive alcohol, that they were completely whacked out…didn’t know who they were, didn’t know where they were, but they had been drinking heavily for years and years.
I have a friend, who was an excessive drinker…he is now 56 years old. Looks like he is 80 yrs. old and most of his organs are failing. Can’t walk without a walker. It is pitiful.
However, I don’t believe that an occasional drink hurts anyone EXCEPT an alcoholic.
I want to start drinking a glass of red wine every day with my dinner, because it seems it might be good for your health and longevity according to the latest studies, but I don’t want to do it if it causes the death of irreplaceable neurons. 365 glasses of red wine a year is 340 glasses more than I drink now and seems like quite a lot. How many neurons, or what percentage would die off with such a habit? I want to make an informed decision.
I think there is value in alcohol consumption, as far as preserving brain cells go, as long as the one is only ingesting a moderate amount(3 drink a day, max). Beyond that, from what I’ve read, it is inherently toxic, acutely and chronically. The effects of chronic excessive consumption are detrimental to every part of the body, the brain included.
Without any scientific data to back me up whatsoever, I’d bet just breathing pollution from cars & industry is probably killing more of your brain cells everyday than a glass of wine would.
A glass or two of alcohol is actually beneficial, as everyone knows by now, increasing as it does your HDL. However, if you look at MRIs of alcoholics, you will find remarkable deficiencies. The ventricles become enlarged, indicating death of brain cells. Neurons are not regenerated, which is the problem with people who have various plegias caused by spinal damage.
So, alcohol does kill neurons, and I’ve seen studies documenting this. I don’t know if it’s just excessive alcohol or any amount, but moderate drinking won’t kill enough to hurt us, apparently. In addition to which, of course, it damages various other organs, not least of which is the liver and pancreas.
In the current issue of Business Week (Sept. 1, 2003), is an aritcle on age-induced memory impariment. They say:
The brain reaches its maximum weight by age 20 and then slowly starts shrinking, losing 10% of its volume over an average lifetime."
As stated above, it’s surface area, not volume, that matters, but clearly there are brain cells going away. If we could just target the ones that would have died anyway…
Also in the same article they state clinical trials have disproved claims that Ginko Bilboa can boost memory.
The medical recommendations?
A patient may be at risk for alcohol-related problems if alcohol consumption is:
Men: greater than 14 drinks per week, or greater than 4 drinks per occasion
Women: greater than 7 drinks per week, or greater than 3 drinks per occasion
Recommendations to Patients for Low-Risk Drinking:
Men: no more than two drinks per day
Women: no more than one drink per day
Over 65: no more than one drink per day
Standard Drink Unit:
one 12 oz-beer (5% alcohol)
one 5-oz glass wine (12% alcohol)
one and 1/2 oz of 80-proof liquor (40% alcohol)
From: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
If one exceeds the recommended intakes noted above, one loses any beneficial effect from alcohol consumption, and rapidly acquires the increased risk for unwanted complications.
QtM, how much variation might there be in these recommendation? We know that people are not all the same. Some (my SO) get a buzz from 1/2 a “drink,” others (myself) don’t buzz until 2 or 3–just to put a non-objective measure on it.
The NIH has to be conservative, or the winos will say “See? 92 drinks a week are good for me!”–or similar comments. Of course, I might be one of those winos.
As you have stated in other threads, taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) interacts with alcohol in ways that are bad for the liver. Any other interactions we should be cognizant of–health-wise speaking?
PS Thanks for providing a sensible, medical commentary on so many questions.
PPS E. E. Smith, right? I can’t find my copy of Galactic Patrol, so I can’t be sure.
Yes, there is individual variation. But just because one doesn’t get a buzz from less than 3 drinks doesn’t mean that said person can consume more with impunity. Consuming 3 drinks a day will eliminate alcohol’s beneficial effects for the vast majority of drinkers, and increase their risk for the detrimental effects, even if they only get a buzz on from 3 or more drinks.
Alcohol and psychotropic medications (anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds like valium, etc) are a bad idea. Alcohol and anti-histamines can also be trouble. Avoid alcohol with any mood-altering medicine (codiene, morphine, cocaine, etc). Basically, if you’re taking any medication, it’s best to check with your doc or pharmacist to see if alcohol is safe to take with it.
BTW, you still could have a cool user name. Klaazmon of Llurdiax comes to mind!
I gather from this and from my personal observations that the effects of borderline drinking can accrue over time, that if a person was to drink 4 drinks in a day that he/she might not be adversely affected after a day or two but that if they continue for additional days without a break that the toxicity will reach unhealthy levels. Is that assumption correct?
I asked my GP this very question, given that there’s a beneficial effect of drinking (say) two drinks a day – that is to say that someone drinking two drinks a day can expect to be healthier than someone who drinks none, if one was to drink above the optimal point on this curve, where exactly is the break-even point?
Indeed what is the shape of this curve? Are most of the benefits derived in the first 6oz, for instance?
Is there data to which you can refer me?
My GP kind of waved his hands a bit, I didn’t have the guts to ask him for a cite.
Also it seems red wine is the most beneficial while distilled spirits offer no benefit. It seems a glass of red wine with your dinner is the way to go. And, hey!, it’s part of the “Mediterranean diet”!
It was first thought that the antioxidants in red wine, such as quercertin, would bestow added benefits to red wine, but the latest studies indicate that the type of alcohol (including distilled spirits) is immaterial:
I heard (unfortunately, no evidence here) that you shouldn’t start drinking any alchohol if you don’t already for health benifits, but if you are a heavy drinker its better to drink only a little than stop altogether.
