The limit is set by the doctor: you have crossed it and you keep on drinking anyway, you are setting yourself up for a problem

Drinking alcohol is a normal part of social life for many people – toasts at parties, a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after work are commonplace in many households. Although we often hear about its health risks, few of us realise how profoundly it can affect our health. And it’s not just about liver or heart disease, it’s also about our brains.

In fact, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages poses one of the greatest risks for the onset and development of dementia. And the line beyond which alcohol ceases to be a “harmless social affair” has been fairly clearly defined by doctors. So why do we keep crossing it?

What is dementia

Before we delve into the link between alcohol and dementia, it’s important to understand what the disease is.

Dementia is not a single disease, but rather a group of symptoms that manifest as loss of memory, speech, and other cognitive functions. These symptoms are so severe that they interfere with a person’s daily life and independence. The most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60 to 80% of all cases. However, dementia can also be caused by other factors, including excessive and prolonged alcohol use.

The disease affects not only thinking skills but also behaviour, feelings and interpersonal relationships. The affected individual may have difficulty with:

• memory (forgetting facts, names, faces, recent and older events)
• reasoning (difficulty processing information, unable to make decisions or manage complex tasks)
• language (using the wrong words or expressing themselves less than before)
• behaviour and personality (may be more aggressive, restless, paranoid or hallucinating)
• spatial orientation (has difficulty perceiving distance, bumps into things and is less coordinated…)

How does alcohol damage the brain?

“Alcoholic dementia” is a condition where prolonged and excessive drinking leads to brain damage. This is because alcohol destroys the nerve cells or neurons that are essential for controlling thoughts, movements, emotions and other bodily activities.

The good news is that unlike some other types, such as the aforementioned Alzheimer’s disease, this one is not necessarily progressive. This means that if a person can stop drinking, the impairment does not worsen, and it is even possible for some cognitive functions to partially recover.

The damage leading to this form of dementia occurs not after one or two drinks, but after years of risky drinking. It is therefore important to know the recommended limits. The American Medical Association states that men should drink no more than two standard drinks a day and no more than 14 drinks a week, and that women should limit their daily consumption to one and no more than seven a week.

What is the normal amount of a standard drink?

• 350 ml of a standard beer of about 5%
• 140 ml of 12% table wine
• 60-90 ml of liqueur or aperitif (about 24%)
• 40 ml of brandy, cognac or a shot of distilled alcohol of about 40%

Excessive drinking of alcoholic drinks and spirits damages the nerves and blood vessels in the brain, leading to the gradual destruction of the neurons already mentioned. Depending on which areas of the brain are most affected, the individual will show different symptoms. These usually develop slowly, but in some cases they can appear suddenly.

Moderate use of alcohol: Is it really beneficial?

There has long been a debate in medical circles about whether occasional drinking has positive effects. It was thought that it could have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, which could also reduce the risk of dementia, among other things. However, recent and extensive research is now putting these hypotheses in a new light.

Scientists from University College London and the Swedish Alcohol Institute conducted a study that followed more than 12,000 participants. The results showed that people who stopped drinking alcohol at age 50 or younger had a significantly lower risk of developing the disease. Specifically, they had a risk reduction of up to 50% compared to those who continued drinking.

This study also suggests that although occasional drinking may theoretically have some benefits for the heart, the threats associated with dementia are so serious that current recommendations need to be reconsidered. Based on these findings, doctors are now advising people in their 50s to consider complete abstinence if they want to minimise the risk of developing the syndrome later in life.

Summary

Long-term excessive alcohol consumption is, in short, a silent and insidious enemy of our brains. New research clearly shows that abstinence is the best strategy in the fight against dementia, especially in younger years.

Doctors recommend that people who drink regularly should monitor their alcohol intake and not exceed set limits. And if you notice that you’re not functioning without alcohol, or if you’re drinking more than recommended, it’s a good idea to seek professional help.