Even moderate drinking leaves a lasting mark on your brain.
We are misreading the real reason why people drink to excess.
Study of over 1,000 people’s brains tested whether alcohol or cannabis does the most damage.
While the drink used to be thought safe for brain health, the latest research finds otherwise.
While the drink used to be thought safe for brain health, the latest research finds otherwise.
Drinking as little as three glasses of wine or three cans of beer per week is linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, research finds.
People who drank more than this amount of any alcohol, the study found, had elevated levels of iron in their brains.
Iron accumulation has been found in both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and may help to explain cognitive decline.
The research included over 20,000 people included in the UK Biobank study.
All had reported their alcohol consumption and had their brains scanned, while 7,000 had had MRIs of their livers to assess iron levels.
Average alcohol intake was around 18 UK units, which is equivalent to over 7 cans of beer or 6 large glasses of wine.
The results showed that anything above 7 units per week was linked to high levels of iron in the basal ganglia, a group of neurons involved in a whide range of cognitive functions, such as learning, movement and the emotions.
Dr Anya Topiwala, the study’s first author, said:
“In the largest study to date, we found drinking greater than 7 units of alcohol weekly associated with iron accumulation in the brain.
Higher brain iron in turn linked to poorer cognitive performance.
Iron accumulation could underlie alcohol-related cognitive decline.”
In the US, 7 units is about 4 standard drinks, which are 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine or 1.5 oz of a distilled spirit.
While moderate drinking used to be thought safe for brain health, the latest research finds otherwise.
Lower and lower amounts of alcohol have been linked to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.
For example, as little as one alcoholic drink per day has been linked to brain shrinkage.
People who have as little as a glass of wine or pint of beer each day show greater signs of brain shrinkage with age.
Averaging four drinks a day was linked by this study to the equivalent of 10 years of brain aging.
The more people drink, therefore, the stronger the association gets between alcohol and brain shrinkage.
And alcohol continues to cause brain damage even six weeks after giving it up.
The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine (Topiwala et al., 2022).
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Discover what high-intensity drinking is, its dangers, and how it differs from binge drinking. Learn effective prevention strategies.
High-intensity drinking is a dangerous pattern of alcohol consumption involving double or more the binge drinking thresholds.
High-intensity drinking refers to alcohol consumption at levels significantly exceeding the thresholds for binge drinking.
For men, this involves consuming 10 or more drinks on a single occasion, while for women, it is 8 or more drinks.
This behaviour is particularly prevalent among young adults and is often linked to social events like parties or celebrations.
Unlike binge drinking, which is already harmful, high-intensity drinking amplifies the risks of acute health crises and long-term damage.
Research highlights that individuals engaging in this pattern face higher rates of alcohol poisoning, injuries, and chronic diseases, including liver and heart conditions.
High-intensity drinking is most common among young adults aged 18 to 25, with a notable peak around the age of 21.
This coincides with major life milestones, including turning the legal drinking age in many countries and entering higher education or the workforce.
Certain cultural and social norms perpetuate this behaviour, such as the expectation to celebrate with excessive alcohol consumption during birthdays or graduations.
While men are more likely to engage in high-intensity drinking, recent studies show the gender gap narrowing, with increases observed among women.
The behaviour is more prevalent in social settings, including:
Geographically, high-intensity drinking trends can vary, but it is often linked to regions with strong drinking cultures and fewer alcohol regulations.
The dangers of high-intensity drinking begin almost immediately after consumption.
Short-term risks include:
As blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises, vital functions such as breathing and heart rate can become compromised, leading to life-threatening conditions.
Repeated high-intensity drinking over time can contribute to:
Moreover, this drinking pattern significantly disrupts cognitive functions, particularly in adolescents and young adults whose brains are still developing.
Long-term effects may include memory deficits, attention problems, and poor decision-making abilities.
Beyond personal health, high-intensity drinking places a heavy burden on society.
Economic costs include:
Socially, this behaviour can lead to strained relationships, domestic violence, and neglect of responsibilities, further impacting communities.
While binge drinking involves consuming enough alcohol to bring BAC to 0.08% or higher, high-intensity drinking exceeds these limits, often doubling or tripling the amount.
This distinction is critical because the risks increase exponentially as alcohol intake rises.
For example:
Understanding these differences can help researchers and policymakers develop targeted interventions for each behaviour.
Age 21 is often a pivotal point for high-intensity drinking, especially in countries where this is the legal drinking age.
The celebration of this milestone is frequently marked by rituals encouraging excessive alcohol consumption.
This behaviour is further normalised through peer pressure and cultural expectations, particularly among university students.
Emerging adulthood is also a period of increased independence and risk-taking, which can contribute to reckless drinking patterns.
Raising awareness about the dangers of high-intensity drinking is a crucial step.
Campaigns should focus on:
Effective community strategies include:
For those struggling with high-intensity drinking, personalised interventions can be effective.
These include:
Recent studies are shedding light on the unique risks and contexts of high-intensity drinking.
Key findings include:
Ongoing research aims to identify effective prevention strategies and understand the societal factors driving this behaviour.
High-intensity drinking represents a significant public health concern, with severe immediate and long-term consequences.
By understanding its patterns, risks, and drivers, we can better address the problem through targeted prevention and intervention strategies.
Raising awareness and promoting responsible drinking behaviours are essential steps towards reducing the harm caused by this dangerous pattern of alcohol consumption.
Your intelligence could influence how much alcohol you consume.
The drink is consumed by 86% of Americans and is popular around the world.
The drink is consumed by 86% of Americans and is popular around the world.
Drinking higher levels of alcohol and binge drinking are both linked to a lower IQ, research finds.
People with higher IQs tend to avoid binge drinking.
The conclusions come from a study of 49,321 Swedish men conscripted for military service between 1969 and 1971.
They were given IQ tests and asked about their alcohol intake.
The lower their IQ was, the more they drank and the more likely they were to binge drink.
It is not clear from the study exactly how IQ is linked to alcohol intake.
However, it is likely that lower IQ is linked to lower social status and emotional problems, both of which may drive higher rates of alcohol consumption.
The study’s authors conclude:
“We found that lower results on IQ tests are associated with higher consumption of alcohol measured in terms of both total alcohol intake and binge drinking in Swedish adolescent men.”
People with higher IQs tend to be healthier, the authors explain:
“One suggested explanation for the association between intelligence and health is that cognitive skills enhance possibilities to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Cognitive ability has been found to be associated with several health-related behaviors, such as smoking, food intake, and physical activity.”
Previous studies have also linked binge drinking to lower IQ.
However, in that study, people with higher IQs had higher levels of average alcohol consumption.
The results fit with the fact that highly intelligent people are also more likely to use drugs.
It could be because the intelligent tend to be easily bored.
At the same time, though, they also led healthier lifestyles.
The divergence between the studies could be down to different populations.
The study was published in the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research Journal (Sjölund et al., 2015).
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