Alcohol shrinks brain & no stroke benefits

"Sydney"

Wait. "They" say. Me, myself and I say: No, it does not shrink my brain. And even in the case it would: forget about it. Life is life and worth to live with a good amount of spirits. In my mind and in my brain. Cheers. Ri

" Ding said researchers cannot make a definitive cause-and-effect link between drinking and brain atrophy because the MRIs were done only once during the study and because they found only a small reduction in tissue."

Clink!

I guess it depends on who's study you believe. I read one the said an aspirin a day helps prevent or control heart disease and stroke. I read another that says alcohol in moderation ( 1 to 2 drinks) intensifies the effect of aspirin by as much as 10 times. So I guess one could say if you take an aspirin a day and have one or two small glasses of wine in the evening you are ten times less likely to have a stroke or heart attack than someone who only takes the aspirin. Hmmmm then again you are increasing the chance of internal bleeding by ten times so if that bleeding occurs in the brain maybe it's not such a good idea. Damn I have to go back and see if I can't find a study more to my liking. :-)

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aspirin a day helps prevent or control heart disease and stroke. I read another that says alcohol in moderation ( 1 to 2 drinks) intensifies the effect of aspirin by as much as 10 times. So I guess one could say if you take an aspirin a day and have one or two small glasses of wine in the evening you are ten times less likely to have a stroke or heart attack than someone who only takes the aspirin. Hmmmm then again you are increasing the chance of internal bleeding by ten times so if that bleeding occurs in the brain maybe it's not such a good idea. Damn I have to go back and see if I can't find a study more to my liking. :-)

I would have liked to write a meaningful reply to this thread, but as my brain is now approximately the size of a pea, I can't!

Jo

Something that is interesting about the science and medical field especially in the academic departments is the publish or perish clause. Many things that are published is just to "save their job" and are really useless. Any study that been done with such few MRI tests is purly usless,there are not enough data points to make any claim. Enjoy your brews is my view.\\

Since they didn't address moderate to heavy consumption, I guess I'll pick up the pace a bit.

Well, you know how "THEY" also used to say you only use 10% of your brain, anyway? I always figured (hoped?) that the brain cells I was killing by drinking were the ones I wasn't using anyway, so my percent is actually INCREASING as the years progress, since I'm killing off all those free-loading brain cells.

Also, don't forget the study relied on self-reporting about alcohol consumption. That's a huge limitation considering how likely it is heavy drinkers lie and understate their consumption. And obviously, no causal link was made. So, was drinking the cause or result? What other confounding factors are there?

I wouldn't toss the study for these reasons. Like most research it provides a clue, a piece to the puzzle. With enough studies on a subject a clear idea usually begins to develop, but it takes time.

Hear Hear! I like to consider it strategic pruning :-)

Richard

Marijuana is said to do the same thing.

It's commonly accepted that stimulating the brain with cognitive tasks helps build neural pathways that increase brain mass. The reverse is also true; living a sedentary existence and not stimulating the brain results in a lack of neural development. This is why the elderly are encouraged to do crossword puzzles and other "thinking" tasks; it helps keep their mind sharp.

Alcohol and marijuana both have a relaxing effect. Alcohol's a stimulant prior to being a depressant. Most who partake in these drugs don't do so with the intent of tackling brain-stimulating tasks. These are usually "social" drugs, although some people use them as a sedative and their brains are not exercised when "under the influence."

So, in this study, is the loss of brain tissue a result of alcohol consumption or is it a combination of other things? Perhaps each person's lifestyle in tandem with alcohol consumption contributed to the loss of brain tissue.

Interesting topic… where is the study published?

-Paul

It's quite possible you really aren't using the brain cells you're killing, as you stated. I have MS and my brain MRIs show spots like landmines where my immune system has attacked my brain. Interestingly, all the areas that are scarred are areas I'm not using. So, I notice nothing in terms of physical/mental abnormality. ('cept the loss of my left eye... it attacked my optic nerve.)

With this study, I'd have to ask my neurologist about the area of the brain that's being affected. Is it really a volatile area? Having a disease like this, you learn that there are many areas of the brain that can be affected with no discernable repercussions. But the reverse is true, too… there area areas of the brain that are incredibly sensitive.

What's interesting is what others noticed; the study makes no claim that alcohol causes brain atrophy. The actual cause of the atrophy has yet to be determined.

-Paul

I don't know how many of you heard the guy interviewed on CNN. He sounded like a man on a mission stating that all the prior studies indicating there are benefits to drinking are bogus and that this is the definitive study proving what all researchers know already that alcohol is a poison. He said that if you drink 4 glasses of wine a week you are doing serious damage to your brain. The guy was downright evangelical.

Ray

Particularly for a retrospective study with very small effects!

The Alcohol most likely kills off the "weak" brain cells, thus leaving more room and nutrients for the "strong" brain cells. That's why you suddenly become an expert on most anything (especially women) after a couple of bottles of "Big Red!"

Raise your IQ 10 points! No pills to take! Just a bottle or two of Thunderbird!

Fred

---snip

I assume we are addressing the alcohol issue here. I don't know how other feels, but I would be extremely happy if it would be possible to create great wines without the alcohol effect. It is the taste, feeling of a "big" wine that I would adore, not the alcohol effect on my puny brain.

SG Brix

You can suspend more solid matter in alcohol than in water (that's why most cooking extracts are alcohol based, as are many liquid medicines). Unfortunately, a 'wine' containing only water will taste watery.

They are probably right, "low to moderate drinking may cause a loss of brain tissue ", therefore you should drink more.

Same as I thought - in my words "Bollox" ',;~}~

I have found that squeezing my head with a hydraulic press actually does make my brain shrink, but I ain't ever gonna stop doing that anyway - life's too short!

Cheers!

Shaun aRe - Merry bloomin' Christmas!

LOL! Would that be Franks Big Red?

OMG! Surely you have to already be *brain damaged to go out and buy TB?!?!?

',;~}~

Shaun aRe - *Or 14 years old, or summink.