The Neuroscience of Alcohol Consumption

What Over 35,000 Brains Reveal

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Today At A Glance:

Exploring the impact of alcohol on brain health, a study from the United Kingdom Biobank titled "Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes" analyzed the brains of over 35,000 middle-aged and older adults. Alarmingly, even moderate drinkers exhibited significant thinning of the neocortex, pointing to a loss of neurons in this and other crucial brain areas.

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Neuro Athletes,

If you're among the elite driving Wall Street or leading top-tier companies, your brain is your most significant asset. I mean, you read Neuro Athletics so you must be a high performer in some sense right?

What if I told you that every cocktail hour, celebratory drink, or even the occasional glass of wine might be chipping away at this prized possession.

You might enjoy the relaxation a finely aged scotch or exquisite wine brings, but with every sip, a sinister agent called ethanol is introduced into your body. As you revel in the temporary euphoria, this chemical damages your cells. To counteract it, your body breaks down ethanol to acetylaldehyde, a more damaging poison. This poison indiscriminately damages and kills cells, leading to the disruption of neural circuits. In essence, being drunk is the result of poison-induced neural interference.

As the alcohol seeps into every part of your brain, it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. Once inside, it slows down excitatory signals and speeds up inhibitory signals. This wreaks havoc on the prefrontal cortex, the brain area responsible for thinking, planning, and impulse control. For high-performers whose decision-making skills are paramount, this is a concerning revelation.

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A groundbreaking study titled "Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes in the UK Biobank" from the United Kingdom Biobank delved deep into this concern. To provide context, gray matter in our brain consists of the neurons, which house the cell bodies containing our genomic information. In contrast, white matter constitutes the neural axons, enveloped in a fatty tissue called myelin, facilitating rapid communication between nerve cells.

• The research observed the brains of over 35,000 middle-aged and older UK adults.

• These participants had varied alcohol consumption habits.

• Findings revealed that even moderate alcohol intake (1-2 drinks daily) led to the thinning of the neocortex.

• This thinning indicates a loss of neurons in the neocortex and other vital brain areas.

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The initial allure of alcohol is its ability to elevate mood, making individuals feel talkative due to a brief spike in serotonin levels. But as consumption increases, serotonin levels drop, leading to a depressive state. The solution to regain that euphoria? Unfortunately, it's more alcohol, trapping individuals in a vicious cycle.

Research underscores the dangers of even moderate alcohol consumption. It leads to the thinning of the neocortex and loss of neurons. For early heavy drinkers, the outcomes are even more dire, resulting in significantly smaller brains and reduced cognitive abilities.

So Neuro Athletes, while alcohol may promise relaxation and social ease, its hidden dangers include neural disruptions, cellular damage, and cognitive impairments.

Considering the stakes, it's essential to ask: Is that next drink truly worth it? For those keen on ensuring their brain operates at peak performance, consider booking a high-performance coaching session to realign and refocus.

Let me know your thoughts on this information above, did you enjoy it?

Stay healthy,

Louisa