Even moderate alcohol use may hasten the aging of the brain, according to a recent study. According to research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, consuming just one pint of beer or a typical glass of wine each day may cause the brain to appear up to 3.5 years older.
More than 36,000 middle-aged adults’ MRI brain scans from the UK Biobank were examined for the study, which was published in Nature Communications. The findings imply that alcohol can have long-lasting effects on the brain, even in modest doses. Furthermore, the effects are worse the more alcohol one drinks.
For many years, people thought that moderate drinking had no negative health effects. A glass of wine was even considered heart-healthy by some. However, this new study casts doubt on that notion, arguing that regular drinking, even at modest amounts, may be damaging the brain in ways we aren’t quite aware of.
The consequences of alcohol accumulate over time, according to health experts. It’s possible that a person’s lifetime drinking habits—rather than just recent consumption—have a greater impact on brain function than previously believed. This implies that the long-term effects could be more severe than anticipated, even if a person begins drinking moderately in their 40s or 50s.
