Alcohol and Your Brain
What’s the Connection?
Drinking isn’t very good for you, but it’s a socially approved drug so people don’t worry about it unless they’re addicted.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a health nut nor do I follow health gurus brandishing grandiose promises of miracle cures while demonizing foods that on their own cause little harm.
I’m not a follower of fad diets nor am I the least bit interested in practicing anything other than moderation in all things. I’ve kept to the middle of the road most of my life and find the fervor of born-again health devotees to be off putting.
Yet, I do see all the above, no matter how dedicated they are to veganism, gluten free, keto, or a clean diet, willing to drink alcohol.
In fact, over the years, I’ve been shocked by how often the average person drinks, alone, on a Wednesday night, in the privacy of their own homes. I’m not a teetotaler but I’ve never really developed a taste for alcoholic beverages. So, on those rare occasions when I’m out with a group of friends, I might buy a margarita or a glass of white wine.
I have one to their multiples and not only save myself money, but don’t feel the need to order again and again.
Are 2 alcoholic drinks a day too much?
To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men or 1 drink or less in a day for women, on days when alcohol is consumed. (CDC)
I used to think that I was the norm but not true.
I know many women my age (senior citizens) who imbibe regularly. It is a way of life for them. Not just a social event, but a regular occurrence in their lives with or without friends with whom to share a drink.
We’ve long understood the effects of smoking on the body and then made our choices to quit or continue smoking on that information.
We’ve never really been told that much about the harmful repercussions of drinking. I’m not sure why, but I do know that while lots of drugs are outlawed and politicized, drinking has been given a special place in most cultures. We did have a short period in American history when alcohol was banned, but prohibition has a past record as a total failure when it comes to eradicating potentially dangerous behaviors.
We do have lots of good information and programs to deal with addictions as well as a better understanding of an addictive personality, however.
Yet, in general, we don’t educate people to the overall harmful effects of alcohol. Like I said, alcohol is a socially approved even honored drug which holds a special place in our rituals, holidays, and social events. Even though, as the above article states, the research has shown that going from one to two drinks a day is associated with changes in the brain equivalent to aging two years and heavier drinking was linked with an even greater toll.
The kicker seemed to be going from one drink a day to two.
That’s where damage begins to accrue. So my old moderation in all things philosophy seems to apply once again. Of course, the problem is that one person’s definition of moderation can vary vastly from another person’s perception of moderation. I rarely drink and so the occasional drink when I do indulge does me no harm. But my friends and acquaintances who drink often, every week if not every day, and indulge in multiple drinks whenever they do are in far greater danger of brain damage.
Of course, you only live once.
Many of us would prefer a little brain damage over not getting to LIVE a full life. And, for many people living a full life includes alcohol. I understand that.
I’m not advocating that people give up drinking.
I just thought it was interesting that our culture makes it possible for people to drink without worrying about it. Only those who are addicted are judged by society.
So, where did I get the idea to write on this topic today?
Well. like most of my ideas, this one arrived unannounced and eventually spilled over to my keyboard. You see, I was following a car this morning. It was weaving all over the road. Not just a little but a whole lot. Crossing the yellow line over and over. It felt risky to follow it.
My husband and I were wary. Something was clearly wrong with the driver.
I assumed that they were probably ON something. You know, drugs or alcohol. And that’s when I began to think about alcohol and all the people I know who drink a lot. I wondered how many of them drive afterwards.
But then that’s a topic for another article.
Teresa is an author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
