Before you pour that nightly glass of beer or wine, consider this: You could be doing lasting damage to cognition and memory. So suggests new research published in The BMJ this month, which found having just four strong beers or five glasses of wine a week is linked to increased risk of mental decline.
While these findings run in direct opposition to other studies that have shown moderate drinking can be good for your health, the size and depth of this research can’t be ignored: The authors looked at data from 550 healthy middle-aged Brits, and analyzed changes in their brain structure and cognitive abilities during a 30-year period. The people evaluated in this study were mostly well-educated, middle-class government workers, none of whom were addicted to alcohol. Still, the researchers accounted for factors that could influence brain health, such as age, physical activity, smoking, and stroke risk. Despite these factors, the more alcohol these folks drank, the worse shape their brains were in.
Looking at the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory and one that atrophies in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the heaviest drinkers had the most shrinkage. But even those who consumed a weekly four to six beers, or five to seven glasses of wine, were a staggering three times more likely to have hippocampal atrophy than nondrinkers. “Since hippocampal size is associated with memory, you would expect people with smaller hippocampi to have poorer memory either now or in the future,” says lead author Anya Topiwala, a psychiatry researcher at the University of Oxford. There was no protective effect from imbibing one to four beverages a week.
As for other areas of the brain, “we found the higher alcohol consumption, the lower the grey matter density in the hippocampi and amygdalae and the poorer the quality of the white matter tracts — the ‘cabled wires’ — in the brain,” Topiwala says. “Both effects were significant. Reduced grey matter and white matter microstructure are each associated with poorer cognitive function.”
The study also found that moderate drinkers declined more quickly on a lexical fluency test, which asks people to come up with as many words beginning with a certain letter as they can within one minute. Topiwala says this task reflects complex cognitive processes.
The fact that moderate drinking had such a profound impact on brain structure surprised the researchers, mainly because past studies have suggested it may protect against memory loss and dementia. “I suspect the discrepancy is because previous studies did not fully account other characteristics of moderate drinkers,” Topiwala says. “For instance, we know that people with higher IQs and education, those who would do better at memory tests, drink more. These characteristics may have masked the true effects of moderate drinking.”
Because this was an observational study, it can’t tell us exactly how a handful of drinks a week impacts the brain. But according to Topiwala, it’s very difficult to investigate this question any other way. She says that with heavy use, alcohol acts as a toxin to brain cells and also leads to vitamin deficiency, so it’s possible that moderate drinking may yield these same effects, albeit to a milder degree.
Reason enough to ask yourself if you really need tonight’s “just because” beer.
Just 5 Drinks A Week Can Damage Your Brain
viagra over the counter walmart online pharmacy viagra viagra no prescription
where to buy viagra online viagra for sale viagra price comparison
prices of cialis buy cialis online price of cialis
generic viagra without a doctor prescription buy cheap viagra generic viagra online
treatment of ed male erectile dysfunction how to cure ed
erectyle dysfunction best ed treatment pills otc ed drugs
cheap viagra 100mg buy viagra from canada viagra from india
best place to buy generic viagra online buy viagra online viagra pill
can you buy viagra over the counter buy ed pills online canadian pharmacy viagra
mens ed Cheap Erection Pills cheap drugs
how to help ed generic cialis drugs causing ed
ed aids generic cialis otc ed pills
errection problem cure homeopathic remedies for ed erectile dysfunction medicines
buy prescription drugs online ED Pills ways to treat erectile dysfunction
cialis generic availability cheap cialis lowest cialis prices
generic cialis without prescription buy tadalafil 30ml liquid cialis
cure ed buy generic ed pills online ed natural treatment
generic without a doctor generic dapoxetine https://dapoxetine.confrancisyalgomas.com/
ed supplements best canadian online pharmacy best ed medicine
ivermectin for rosacea redness https://ivermectin.mlsmalta.com/
payday loans no credit check instant approval personal loans
buy generic drugs buy generic drugs from canada medications
payday loans personal loans with no credit check
sildenafil sildenafil pharmacy
low dose naltrexone contraindications https://naltrexoneonline.confrancisyalgomas.com/
tadalafil pharmacy tadalafil for sale
prices of viagra at walmart https://sildenafilxxl.com/ online doctor prescription for viagra
mixing viagra and dapoxetine effects https://ddapoxetine.com/
buy prescription drugs online legally trusted india online pharmacies drug prices
causes of ed canadian pharmacy viagra how to cure ed naturally
discount viagra buy viagra mail order viagra
vidalista with dapoxetine https://vidalista40mg.mlsmalta.com/
cheap drugs online canada online pharmacy ed clinics
walgreens price for cialis 20mg buy cialis side effects for cialis
viagra over the counter walmart generic viagra roman viagra
pharmacy medications cheap Prednisone ed problems treatment
new ed drugs india pharmacy best ed pills
generic cialis available united states https://wisig.org/
doctor prescriptions by phone https://buymeds.mlsmalta.com/
albuterol sulfate side effects inhaler https://amstyles.com/
new treatments for ed: causes for ed ed medication online
male erectile dysfunction: pain medications without a prescription how can i order prescription drugs without a doctor
drugs and medications canadian pharmacies shipping usa what is the best ed pill
is cialis generic available cialis vs levitra otc cialis
non prescription viagra when will viagra be generic online viagra
zithromax prescription in canada zithromax capsules price zithromax cost australia
generic cialis black 800mg when is the best time to take cialis cialis professional
ed medications canadian pharmacies online natural herbs for ed
best canadian pharmacy online how to buy cialis from canada best non prescription ed pills
viagra pill viagra for sale viagra from canada
cheapest viagra online
viagra prescription cheap generic viagra can you buy viagra over the counter
cvs viagra
where to buy viagra online viagra without doctor prescription how much viagra should i take the first time?
viagra online
drugs online find best canadian mail pharmacies canadian pills online
buy prescription drugs without doctor Valtrex Aciclovir
new ed treatments find best canadian mail pharmacies find best canadian mail pharmacies
errectile disfunction ed drugs generic cheap erectile dysfunction pills online
otc ed drugs canadian pharmacies shipping usa best rated canadian pharmacies
Flagyl antibiotics Doxycycline what is the best ed drug
pain meds online without doctor prescription canada drugs online canadian pharmacies shipping to usa
ed meds online without prescription or membership approved canadian online pharmacies canadian pharmacy
prices of viagra at walmart over the counter ed drugs drugs and medications
buy viagra online canada viagra prescription online viagra over the counter usa 2020
cialis 100mg dosage https://www.lm360.us/
website canadian pharmacies shipping to usa fda approved canadian online pharmacies
hims ed pills lipitor generic india lipitor 10 mg tablet
viagra without doctor prescription buy lipitor online cheap lipitor generic
prednisone 4 tablets daily https://prednisone.bvsinfotech.com/
Taxi moto line
128 Rue la Boétie
75008 Paris
+33 6 51 612 712
Taxi moto paris
Amazing! Its really amazing piece of writing, I
have got much clear idea about from this paragraph.
M.E.C Mon Electricien Catalan
44 Rue Henry de Turenne
66100 Perpignan
0651212596
Electricien Perpignan
Excellent post. I was checking continuously this
blog and I am impressed! Very useful info specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such info a lot.
I was looking for this particular information for a very long time.
Thank you and good luck.
Independance Immobilière – Agence Dakar Sénégal
Av. Fadiga, Immeuble Lahad Mbacké
BP 2975 Dakar
+221 33 823 39 30
Agence Immobilière Dakar
Hi all, here every person is sharing these know-how, therefore it’s pleasant to read this webpage, and I used to pay a quick visit this web site everyday.
viagra prescription online https://cheapvgr100.online/ ztxtpcda
viagra from india https://cheapvgr100.com/ mbtqisbh
allegra 100mg price benadryl 100 tablet benadryl for sale in canada
can i buy acyclovir cream over the counter can you buy famvir paypal buy valtrex online canada
buy zithromax without prescription online zithromax capsules price zithromax 250 mg tablet price
yasmin pharmacy levlen price yasmin pills usa
where to buy acyclovir valtrex 1000 mg daily famvir 500mg cost
purchase acyclovir online famvir generic how to order valtrex online
levlen cheapest price levlen cost shatavari fertility
100mg cenforce cost per pill http://cavalrymenforromney.com/
vidalista 80mg black india http://viidalista.co/
canada viagra http://viagrastm.com/ canadian pharmacy viagra vomhuyzq
is there a generic viagra http://viagrastm.online/ cheap viagra hmexybih
viagra for sale http://viagrastm.com/ order viagra online mgnvvmal
how does cialis work http://cialisirt.online/ cialis prices 20mg voihpedy
cialis dosages http://cialisirt.online/ 30 day cialis trial offer jwuvflzl
how to prevent malaria https://hydroxychloroquine.wisig.org/
generic viagra without a doctor prescription canadian pharmacy natural pills for ed
pump for ed canadian pharmacy prescription drugs online without doctor
rx pharmacy online canadian pharmacies online pharmacy open near me
pharmacy orlando mexican pharmacy online best drugstore concealer
erection pills pharmacy prices impotence
peoples pharmacy professional pharmacy board of pharmacy
pharmacy 24 hours pharmacy rx
ed for men https://canadarx24.com/
ed drugs
home remedies for erectile dysfunction https://canadarx24.com/
cheap erectile dysfunction
erectile dysfunction treatment canada drugs erection pills
pharmacy rx mens ed pills med rx pharmacy
walmart tadalafil vidalista 20mg https://vidalista.mlsmalta.com/
when will viagra be generic https://edcheapgeneric.com/ majnkqyc generic viagra walmart
viagra cialis https://edcheapgeneric.com/ qylcrleb viagra otc
generic viagra online https://edcheapgeneric.com/ zqieweos generic viagra names
cheapest generic viagra https://edcheapgeneric.com/ yogoclfs viagra without a doctor prescription usa
otc viagra https://edcheapgeneric.com/ smwzhjhi no prescription viagra
legal to buy prescription drugs without prescription http://canadarx24.online/ medicines for ed srjskkla