If the consequences of a high and regular consumption of alcohol on the body are now well known, a vast meta-analysis highlights the unsuspected effects of reduced daily quantities on the brain.
Extensive analysis
Numerous studies have examined the link between the consumption ofalcohol and brain health, with ambiguous results. Although excessive alcohol consumption has been widely shown to profoundly alter brain structure, with large reductions in gray and white matter, some research has suggested that moderate alcohol consumption has little effect. impact on the latter, and that low consumption could even be beneficial in the elderly.
Having involved the analysis of medical data from over 36,000 UK adults aged 40 to 69, this new study published in the journal Nature Communications shows that moderate alcohol consumption (a few beers or glasses of wine per week) carries major risks for the brain and is associated with significant reductions in its overall volume.
« Having such a sample allows us to identify subtle patterns, including for consumption not exceeding the equivalent of one beer per day. “, highlighted Gideon Naveresearcher atuniversity of pennsylvania and lead author of the study. ” It’s akin to having a microscope with a more powerful lens, giving you better resolution and revealing associations that were previously impossible to see.. »
Striking Differences
While the decrease in brain volume was found to be small when going from zero to one unit of alcohol per day (8 grams of pure alcohol in this case), Nave and his colleagues found that the effect was not linear. For a 50-year-old person, going to two units of alcohol (an ounce of beer or a glass of wine) corresponded to a premature aging of the brain by two years compared to an individual consuming only one. This reached three and a half years when switching to three glasses, and exceeded ten years in people who consumed four daily, compared to non-drinkers.
« These findings contrast with scientific and government guidelines on alcohol consumption limits. “, underline the authors of the study.
In the future, the team plans to evaluate the effects of “ binge drinking on brain health. ” This study looked at moderate drinking, but we’re curious if one beer a day is better than not drinking it during the week, and drinking seven at the weekend. », note Nave. « It would seem that excessive alcohol consumption is more harmful to the brain, but we have not yet studied this question closely.. »