Alcohol is not good for us. Not just in large quantities.
A new study has found that even a moderate amount of drinking is linked to cardiovascular issues and brain damage.
The Penn Center for Studies of Addiction says that the findings contrast with scientific and governmental guidelines on safe drinking limits.
Although the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that women consume an average of no more than one drink per day, recommended limits for men are twice that, an amount that exceeds the consumption level associated in the study with decreased brain volume.
The US and European team of researchers looked at the data from the UK Biobank, a large observational study set up in the UK.
The scientists had access to the participants' self- reported number of units per week or month, which is how the UK measures alcohol amount. The units per week and month were converted into units per day for the study.
The team found a negative association between alcohol intake and the brain structure of the participants. The largest volume changes occurred in three areas of the cortex, the brain stem, and the amygdala.
The researchers found that those that drank four units per day had a gray and white matter volume change equivalent to ten years of aging.
The difference between those that had one drink a day and those that had two was two years worth of aging in gray and white matter.
The team writes in their paper that most of these negative associations are apparent in individuals who consume an average of only one to two daily alcohol units.
This study shows that even moderate drinking could be associated with changes in brain volume in middle-aged and older adults.
A number of recent studies have suggested that there is no good amount of drinking, despite what we have been told in the past.
This research can only show a correlation between alcohol use and brain changes. Because the research was observational, we can't tell if brain changes were caused by drinking or if there was a factor missed. Smaller brain sizes could cause more drinking.
Even if it is just one drink less a night, the team still stresses that it doesn't hurt to cut back.
The people who can benefit the most from drinking less are the people who are already drinking the most, according to a University of Pennsylvania consumer neuroscience researcher.
It's worth keeping in mind for next weekend.
The study has been published.
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