More bad news for those who want to believe moderate alcohol consumption is healthy.
In a 30 year study, 550 men and women with an average age of 43 were evaluated through a questionnaire and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to determine if alcohol consumption was associated with brain atrophy of the hippocampus and loss of fluency in vocabulary. The result was that even moderate drinking (14-21 drinks a week) was associated with cognitive decline, loss of fluency in vocabulary, and atrophy of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center. There was no protective effect of light drinking (<7 drinks a week) over abstinence.
“The result was that even moderate drinking (14-21 drinks a week) was associated with cognitive decline, loss of fluency in vocabulary, and atrophy of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center.”
Editor’s Note: There are nutritional strategies to reduce, but probably not eliminate, the harmful effects that alcohol can have on the brain. These strategies include the supplements N-acetyl-cysteine, milk thistle extract, and the B-vitamin thiamin.