Study Links Alcohol Consumption to a Decline in Brain Health
There’s no “safe” number of drinks
Thinking of cracking open a cold one this weekend? Researchers from the University of Oxford have identified a connection between alcohol consumption and the shrinking of the brain’s gray matter, according to a new study. The team found that any amount of alcohol could negatively affect the brain, meaning that current “drink in moderation” public health guidelines may need to be revised. The study was uploaded onto the pre-print server medRxiv ahead of peer review.
In this observational study, 25,000 people in the UK were surveyed to assess their self-reported alcohol intake. Scans of their brains were also taken. Analyses revealed that the more participants drank, the greater the reduction in the volume of their gray matter (regions of the brain that control muscle control, sensory perception, and decision-making).
Alcohol’s contribution to these neurological changes was found to be small (under 1 percent), but this was greater than other “modifiable” risk factors. Additionally, having an underlying health issue such as high blood pressure or obesity, or engaging in binge drinking puts individuals at even higher risks of a decline in grey matter.
This data joins a growing body of evidence that has put current alcohol consumption…
