Reasonable consumption of alcohol can reduce the risk of heart diseases, but at the same time consumption of small amounts of alcohol can lead to brain shrinkage. Scientists believe that the larger the doses of alcohol, the higher the risk of brain shrinkage. As we age, our brain naturally shrinks losing 1.9% of its volume over every 10 years. Moreover, there are diseases that affect the brain. Scientists from the Wellesley College conducted a study looking into the effect of alcohol on the brain.
1.8 thousand people participated in the study. Starting from year 1971, the participants regularly answered to questionnaires and had analysis done on them (including brain scans). Detailed description of the experiment is published in Archives of Neurology magazine. On the questionnaire the participants indicated the amount of alcohol they had consumed over the period of one week. Examination of the analysis results and the survey data led to a conclusion that the more often and the greater volume of alcohol we consume – the faster our brain shrinks.
Interesting enough, while males are more inclined to excessive alcohol consumption, women exhibit greater correlation between alcohol consumption and brain shrinkage. Perhaps, this is due to the fact the fact that women have more delicate body and are more receptive to the negative effect of alcohol.
