Neurologist explains what drinking once a week could do to long-term brain health
A neurologist has revealed how alcohol can impact the brain long-term as he discussed ways to prevent dementia.
Dr David Perlmutter sat down with Steven Bartlett for a recent episode of his podcast, The Diary of a CEO, where he talked about where drinking is safe for brain health, and how various factors, including inflammation, sleep, exercise and social connection can influence cognitive decline.
Sharing his expertise, Perlmutter explains: “I mean, they used to say that a little bit of alcohol is contributing.
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Well, there was a lot of data that showed that there was what we call a U-shaped curve in terms of dementia risk. What is a U-shaped curve?
The very lowest level, i.e. no consumption of alcohol, there was a certain risk for dementia. With consumption, then the risk went down a bit. One glass of wine per day for women, two glasses of wine per day for men, but then the U comes back up. So, we thought there was a sweet spot.
“It turns out that reassessing indicates that really any alcohol consumption is probably not good for the brain.”
So, what does alcohol consumption do to the human brain? According to Perlmutter, it is ultimately toxic.
He continues: “It is directly toxic to neurons and, from my perspective, I think you probably guessed through the lens through which I see brain science these days, it helps polarize our microgal cells away from being supportive.”
Known as the ‘Evil Twin’ phenomenon, high blood sugar and inflammation also work to hijack your brain’s protective microglial immune cells and shift them into a ‘destructive state that actively devours healthy synapses’, according to the expert.
How alcohol contributes to dementia risk
According to a paper published in JAMA, alcohol consumption by older adults is associated with the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
In the study, 3,000 participants aged 72 and older in the US were examined by a team of researchers over the course of several years. At the beginning, none of the people involved had dementia, with the experts finding that those who drank over 14 alcoholic drinks a week were at an increased risk of dementia.
However, the study also found that those who abstained from drinking were also at an increased risk developing the disease.
Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, shared: “There’s a well-established link between heavy drinking and the risk of dementia, but it is difficult to say whether moderate alcohol intake has any impact on brain health when compared to not drinking at all.
“Some non-drinkers may have a history of heavy alcohol use, and this makes it difficult to untangle links between drinking habits and health.”
