Wednesday 19 May 2021

Brain drain

Oh dear. Some new research suggests that any amount of alcohol can damage the brain, even so-called moderate drinking. In which case teetotallers have had the right idea all along, and should be much brainier than us boozers.

Of course it's only one bit of research and has yet to be confirmed. So I'm not giving up alcohol any time soon. Jenny and I have roughly a glass of wine a day, which doesn't seem excessive. It's a pleasure we wouldn't want to lose.

But does this research ring true? Well, I've been drinking small amounts of alcohol for most of my life and I haven't noticed any drastic changes in my brain, except the slight forgetfulness that comes with advancing age anyway. 

If alcohol was damaging my brain, surely I'd be pretty gaga by now and having to be reminded who I am and what I'm doing.

And life-long teetotallers should be much smarter than I am and running rings round me. There are plenty of teetotallers in Northern Ireland (or so they say!) but some of them are quite visible dimwits, which sheds some doubt on the research.

Then again, I don't know what my brain would be like if I'd been a life-long teetotaller. Would I be so clever I'd be running rings round everyone else? Would I have polished off a cryptic crossword in ten minutes? Who knows?

And although we all lose millions of brain cells as we get older anyhow, apparently that still leaves us with more than enough brain cells to keep us functioning efficiently. So if alcohol kills a few more, does it really matter?

I await further research with interest. Cheers!

30 comments:

  1. It sounds like they were cherry picking their data, or in this case, grape picking. I’m not giving up the vino, either!

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    1. Bijoux: Could be. Their research still has to be peer reviewed, so it could yet be pulled to pieces!

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  2. Are the researchers teetotallers? I think we should be told....

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    1. Fly: We should indeed. Or if they're drinkers, are they going to take heed of their findings and give up alcohol?

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  3. I don't drink alcohol so I guess I have all my brain cells? lol

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    1. Mary: Then you must be a genius! Your brain must be fizzing!

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  4. I've never been a big drinker--just a social drinker as a young adult. Yes, I have been absolutely drunk twice in my 73 years. But, I stopped drinking at all a number of years ago and I don't see it has made any difference in my cognitive ability. But, would I?

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    1. Linda: I've had about four hangovers in my life. The last one was so bad (in my early twenties) I decided to limit my drinking drastically. Interesting that you see no difference having stopped drinking.

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  5. Nick, I also saw this study and shared it with my husband who told me he doesn't plan to give up enjoying wine with dinner. We don't have it every night, but enjoy it a few times a week. It's always amazing to me that one study will say something (red wine) is good for health and another will come out to dispute that.

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    1. Beatrice: I know, the experts keep changing their advice from year to year, or even month to month. Probably there'll be new research in a month's time that totally contradicts the Oxford findings.

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  6. Years ago I worked for a genius, along the lines of Gates or Jobs. Also a heavy drinker. I pointed out some research about alcohol killing the grey matter, and it became a matter of pride with him, smarter than ten average bears and all that drinking. I wonder if he is still alive.

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    1. Joanne: An intriguing combination of genius and heavy drinking. Indeed, is he still alive or has he succumbed to liver disease?

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  7. I read that Katherine Hepburn was convinced that the only reason Bogart and John Huston (the director of the African Queen) were the Only ones who didn't get dysentery on the making of the movie... was because they drank every evening! it apparently killed the bug.
    LOL! great sensible post. :D xo

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    1. Tammy: A fascinating story! I wonder if bugs can get hangovers?

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  8. It is always something. I'm a teetotaler in that no one in my family drinks in moderation. Well no one I know at least. But frankly, they change the health rules too many times. I remember co-workers weaning themselves off coffee. Then years later, a bit of coffee is good for you. I've also been told a bit of alcohol is good for you too.

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    1. Ann: I shan't change my drinking habits until this research has been solidly confirmed elsewhere. Even then, do a few less brain cells really matter if I'm at the fag-end of my life anyway?

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  9. I've stopped trying to keep up with the alcohol consumption research -- wine is beneficial, then it's not; periodic changing of amounts safe for men and, of course, different for women. Common sense and moderation in all things can seem wise.

    The brain can become "pickled" so to speak with regular consumption, allowing some to think they have no problem since they seem to continue functioning at work et al, but subtle personality changes can occur. Regular alcohol can be deadly to the esophagus, especially when combined with smoking.

    Some older people do use alcohol to self-medicate as I encountered a few in my work resulting in their developing unintended problems. A truly severe case of alcohol becoming abusive resulting in one patient acquiring permanent mental issues -- convinced I was a lady-of-the night come to visit him. He apologized he could not afford to pay as we sat at a table in an empty dining area he must have thought was some sort of lounge and I was there trying to pick him up. This happened session after session over a few weeks as I determined intervention to rehabilitate his memory and cognitive issues was no longer possible.

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    1. Joared: Indeed, the advice on alcohol keeps changing. Who knows what the advice will be in a month's time? The guy who thought you were a lady of the night had clearly pickled his brain!

      I once lived in a flat below a woman who was a hopeless alcoholic. She would get into blind rages over the tiniest things and would laugh manically for hours on end.

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  10. I was a moderate drinker before I quit totally 22 years ago. You have followed my "progress"for the last many years. What do you think? Am I brainy?

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    1. Ramana: You're very brainy. But whether that's due to quitting alcohol or a dozen other possible factors, I couldn't say!

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  11. I agree with Bijoux. And like you I enjoy a glass or two of wine, usually at the weekend. It doesn't seem that long ago when research said a glass of red every day was actually good for us!

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    1. Polly: As it happens, I much prefer white wine, so I never took any notice of the advice to drink red.

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  12. I wonder do we ever know whether we're losing our grip as usually we're the last. Worth a mull, wine or not.

    Nearly 35 years off the booze for me. And I'm keeping my compos mentis unlike some unfortunate others that are dear to me. One is a boozer.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. www: Oh yes, I think people usually know when they're losing their grip. And what's scary is that they know it can only get worse.

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    2. I remember when Dave's mother got to the stage where she could remember that she couldn't remember. It was weird.

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    3. Linda: That must be really weird.

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  13. I think alcohol is a poison so I suppose it can't actually do anyone much good... but human beings have always had it if they could get hold of it so it clearly has other important benefits....

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    1. Jenny: I can never understand why people habitually consume such large amounts of alcohol. A glass or two of wine is quite enough for me.

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  14. How big are your wine glasses? Depending on their size your drinking might be excessive. NHS

    I don't like wine, I like Scotch.
    Sx

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    1. Ms Scarlet: Our wine glasses are much smaller than the huge ones you get at restaurants. A glassful would be a pretty modest amount.

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