Moderate drinking may cause permanent damage
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Scientists at University of Oxford and University College London have found that drinking one glass of wine a night can affect memory.
The amount of data out there about the benefits versus negative effects of consuming alcohol are staggering. A quick google search of “is alcohol good for me” turns up over 40 million results, and a conclusion about the results is basically impossible. Adding to that confusion is a new study done by University of Oxford and University College London scientists using data from the Whitehall III study, which followed a group of British civil servants for 30 years, noting their disease and social behaviors.
Using this data, the scientists divided through individuals into three classes of drinkers: light, medium, and heavy. The light drinking group are those drinking less than seven drinks a week, with some fully abstaining. Medium drinkers have about a glass of wine a night, with the occasional second glass. Heavy drinkers have on average two drinks a night.
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After these subdivisions were made the examined the likelihood of each group to develop hippocampal atrophy. Hippocampal atrohpy is related to memory-loss diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia and can affect memory, spatial navigation, language skills, and though processing skills. In this study, the heaviest drinkers showed the greatest decline in the skills associated with hippocampal atrophy, with slightly lower levels in moderate drinkers, and significantly reduced levels in light drinkers. To the scientists involved in this study, this was enough to state that the heavier drinking is correlated with decreased brain functioning.
There are some issues with this study that should be taken into account before anyone panics though. The study took into account very few other factors like diet or age. So if you are heavy drinker, but you are young and eat well otherwise, you could be at less risk that someone much older who eats poorly. There is still a significant amount unknown about the way that alcohol truly affects our bodies.
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