SubscribeAlcohol Leads to Brain Shrinkage
If Wrestlemania and beer pong weren't evidence enough. The human brain actually SHRINKS 1.9% every 10 years.
And now, a new study claims excessive drinking accelerates the shrink-down.
Experts urge that even moderate drinking offers NO protective effects.
Researchers conducted MRI's and health exams on 1,839 adults; men and women, average age 60, with no history of stroke or dementia.
Participants were asked how much alcohol they drank each week and then organized into five groups:
- Abstainers
- Former drinkers
- Low: 1 to 7 drinks per week
- Moderate: 8 to 14 drinks per week
- High: More than 14 drinks per week
Most subjects fell into the "low" category.
Results revealed that the MORE a person drank, the MORE their brain volume diminished.
The findings, published in the Archives of Neurology, showed this relationship was more pronounced in women than men.
And they say MEN are slobs when they're drunk!
Via HealthDay News.
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well ive always believed that it didnt make your smarter, so that doesnt surprise me. glad to see the truth come to light, though :D
Reply-jerry
I think people like becomeing dumber when they drink. You know what they say about ignorance
ReplyI'd be curious to see whether or not doing cognition exercises (like doing challenging crosswords, sudoku, etc.) do anything to preserve brain size. Besides, it's fairly well-documented that brain size has little to do with intelligence. Blue whales have larger brains than we do; it doesn't mean they're smarter. IMHO, this study needs a lot more follow-up before I'm going to buy that it's just alcohol that's causing problems.
Replyhttp://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MEDICAL-10-15-08
ReplyWhat you DON'T show but you clearly assume, is that a smaller brain means decreased mental acuity. Really?
Elephants have giant brains. I'm not sure brain size means a whole lot.
Of course I could be wrong but it seems like a gaping hole in your post.
ReplyHi Barry!
I think the concern is not one of actual size, but how the size is decreased in the specific individual from what it was. It seems that things that alter brain anatomy, like cocaine for example, do not lead to positive changes in brain functioning.
ReplyThanks for the article Dr. J!
Though there are many harmful activities we do to shrink our brains (alcohol being one of them - and I could not find ANYWHERE in the blog poster were Gerry or the study suggested alcohol was the ONLY cause of brain shrinkage) and just the inevitable effects of aging, there are things we can do to keep our brain in as good working order as long as possible.
I think many of us know personal anecdotal evidence of older people where some seemed to drift off into oblivion while others remained sharp despite the wear and tear that was very apparent on their bodies.
I once knew two sisters - both very intelligent and pioneers of their time. One was an attorney and the other a CPA. The attorney truly retired in her old age. Her big activity for the day was going down by the community pool and chatting with the other retirees. The CPA kept working. On a part-time basis, she managed the books of her grandson’s business. The attorney could never remember if she took her medicine and would forget to eat. She was always depressed and just seemed to waste away. The CPA, even though she had many physical ailments, was jovial and loved to verbally spar with anyone – she also made the best Gefilte fish I have ever tasted. They both passed away about the same time, but I can definitely choose which life I would like to emulate.
There are many factors outside of our control that will have impacts on how our life will turn out, but there are a few things in our control we can do to help: eat well, exercise and keep the mind moving in new directions and taking on new challenges.
Bon Appétit!
ReplyCould this be a matter of dehydration?
ReplyYes, the shrinkage is linked to dehydration. The study indicated that.
ReplyI could see that. After a night of heavy drinking, my brain feels about the size of pea for how well it functions :)
Reply..my brain is diminishing as I read this...
Reply