Booze On The Brain

5 minute read

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the occasional glass of wine (or two) has helped many of us through three lockdowns. We couldn’t see friends or family, laugh over brunch in a busy, buzzy restaurant, we couldn’t hug – one of our most natural, human instincts – everything we love halted as we adjusted to a different way of living. Alcohol (and fancy takeaways) were rightly considered luxuries we could still indulge in - so we did. It’s only now we are seeing how this overindulgence over such an extended period of time, potentially affects our mind and bodies.

Covid brain fog? Yes, we’ve been there. Insomnia? Check. Alcohol amplifies both of these – and that’s before we even mention menopause. We know alcohol can act as a trigger for some menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and night sweats. It can also make your sleep, weight gain, and night sweats worse ( due to alcohol raising your internal body temperature), but there’s something else: drinking a tipple too many also affects your brain as you age.

For starters, the impact of alcohol on your body changes as you age. The days when we could wake up feeling (relatively) fresh after a session in our twenties, for example, don’t last long. The signs can vary from terrible hangovers or feeling wide awake at 2 am after just one drink the night before (the effects of alcohol on the brain are usually dependent on age and daily consumption habits) but for those in midlife, studies have found that a higher consumption can affect and age your brain, particularly in regions essential to cognitive function.

Research published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports looked at 353 participants aged 39 to 45 who underwent an MRI and found that moderate alcohol consumption (fewer than three drinks per day for females) was associated with a smaller brain volume. A similar study published in 2008, looked at over 1,800 participants aged 33 to 88 and also found that higher levels of alcohol consumption were associated with smaller brain volume.

And yes, there may be people who drink moderate-to-heavy amounts without developing other problems; the potential benefits of having one-to-two drinks have been reported (and some of the short-term impacts of alcohol, such as mood and memory changes can be undone) but overall, research has found a decline in brain volume can contribute significantly to memory impairments. And unfortunately, the proof is in the numbers.

For years, excess alcohol has been tied to issues with the part of the brain that houses the nerve fibres that send signals from one area to another and severe memory and learning problems.

So, moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption (four or more drinks per day,) is essentially detrimental to brain function.

Heavy alcohol use is also associated with an increased risk of dementia. A study published in The Lancet Public Health back in 2018 found in over one million dementia cases there was an association of alcohol use disorders with all types of dementia.

If it all makes for a grim read (again, sorry), the good news is that if you know all this and feel like your mood changes and sleeping cycle could be tied to your glass of wine, you can now take action. Speak to friends, family or your GP and remember, it doesn’t mean going cold turkey, it might just mean cutting back or reverting to pre-pandemic habits when one or two were a treat on a Friday as opposed to a daily ritual. Your mind, body and brain will thank you for it (and hint: the alcohol-free alternatives available are getting much better as time goes on, too).