Alcohol And Cognitive Health, What Drink Might Be Doing To Your Brain
In the world of performance nutrition alcohol is most commonly discussed in the context of impaired recovery and physical performance, but what about cognitive performance? A recent meta analysis looked into the impact of alcohol on cognitive dysfunction, here we’ll be reviewing the research, answering the question of is moderation really the key and how to apply the results to your daily life.
The Relationship Between Alcohol and Cognitive Health
We’ve been investigating alcohol’s impact on the brain for years, and it’s always been a relatively complex topic and still is today. But we have more information on it than ever before, the meta analysis we’ll be looking at carried our by Zarezadeh et al (2024) included data from a total of 88,760 men and women. It was looking into the association between consumption of alcohol and risk of cognitive dysfunction which included cases of dementia, cognitive impairment and cognitive decline.
It was very much a chronic look at alcohol consumption as opposed to the acute effects which we know alcohol has including reduced reaction times, and spatial awareness etc.
As this is a meta analysis the researchers were essentially collating evidence from a total of 17 prospective cohort studies that were carried out in multiple countries and lasted for between 2 and 43 years. The studies used different questionnaires to assess alcohol consumption and cognitive function but the researchers were able to carry out a dose response analysis from these studies.
What They Found
The dose response analysis actually found that light to moderate alcohol consumption of 1-30.5 grams per day was associated with a 3% lower risk of cognitive dysfunction compared to people that drank no alcohol at all. Light to moderate consumption at 1-17.5g/day was also associated with an 8% lower risk of dementia compared to no alcohol! 17.5g is roughly 2 units/day.
But on the flipside they found that consumption of alcohol above these values was associated with a significant risk of cognitive dysfunction at 7% and an even higher risk of dementia at 23%.
This a J shaped curve best represents these findings where some alcohol in moderation may be beneficial for prevention of cognitive decline but too much daily will likely increase risk.
The Science Behind Alcohol’s Impact on the Brain
When presented with results like this I always like to dive into what the proposed mechanism of action for the results is. So with alcohol what is it that may reduce risk of cognitive decline in moderation and what may cause the increase in risk in excessive consumption. Here are a few theories:
One theory for the potentially protective effect is the impact moderate alcohol consumption may have on cardiovascular health, moderate intake of things like red wine have been associated with increased levels of HDL and improved blood flow which may contribute to maintaining brain health through the sufficient supply of oxygen to the brain.
Red wine also contains polyphenols such as resveratrol which have powerful antioxidant properties which can help protect the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation
There may also be a benefit with regards to the social aspect of moderate drinking. As we know that social engagement can reduce the risk of dementia due to the cognitive stimulation and reduction of stress it provides!
On the flipside, excessive alcohol consumption can directly damage brain cells particularly in areas such as the hippocampus and frontal lobes responsible for memory and executive function.
Heavy alcohol intake may also interfere with absorption of essential nutrients such as thiamine
There is also an association between heavy drinking and reduced cardiovascular health due to the energy it contains often leading to obesity and even poor dietary choices. This would have the opposite effect with regards to blood flow to the brain.
We also know alcohol can disrupt neurotransmitter systems such as those that produce GABA which helps regulate mood and stress. Poor regulation of these systems may impact brain health
Key Takeaways: Drink Responsibly
As you can see there’s a number of potential reasons as to the results found in this study! As always our bodies and our diets are complex things that are not in isolation. There are so many factors that can affect our cognitive decline, so if you enjoy drinking in moderation, and you’ve got a solid diet then have at it. If you’re not a drinker, don’t worry about the potential increased risk, as there are so many factors at play here it isn’t even worth worrying about. That being said there’s likely always going to be a benefit for excessive drinkers to cut down their alcohol consumption.
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