Surprising study results
Could a few drinks be better for the brain than no alcohol at all?
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Medicine has known for a long time that alcohol damages our brain. But is that really the case under all circumstances? A study surprises with the result that moderate consumption can even improve cognitive performance.
There are countless studies on the subject of alcohol and its effects on our health. The scientific consensus is that too much of it is harmful. Above all, our brain loses performance and ages faster if we drink too much and too often. But what exactly is too much? According to a neurological study from the USA, moderate drinking in adults is even said to have a positive effect on cognitive performance.
Study: How does alcohol consumption affect the brain?
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from almost 20,000 adult Americans as part of the University of Michigan’s “Health and Retirement Study”. Of the participants, 60 percent were women and 40 percent were men. On average, the people were 61 years old. 35 percent of them stated that they drink alcohol – in turn, 85 percent of these people saw themselves as light to moderate drinkers.
When evaluating the data sets, the researchers were able to determine that the participants in the study who said they had one or two glasses of an alcoholic beverage per day had better cognitive brain performance in the long term. The people were accompanied for a total of twelve years, during which the scientists regularly tested their mental abilities. Among other things, they measured the word recall, mental state and vocabulary of the subjects.
Those who consumed alcohol moderately – for women this was less than eight drinks per week, for men less than 15 drinks – had a better memory for words and a better vocabulary than the complete abstainers:innen.
Cognitive performance: how much alcohol is really beneficial?
Despite these surprising results, we should take the conclusions with a pinch of salt. Because many other studies clearly show that even small amounts of alcohol can damage the brain permanently.
In addition, the study is based on self-reporting by the participants – how much alcohol they actually drank is not certain. There is also no information about her other lifestyle. Because other aspects can also influence brain performance, such as our diet, stress level or genetic factors.
Most medical professionals will probably not have much objection to a glass of wine every now and then. But those who drink too much alcohol regularly damage their health – not just the brain, but also the liver and cardiovascular system. So it’s a question of the right measure.
Sources used: businessinsider.com, jamanetwork.com