There’s nothing wrong with being a social drinker, right? It turns out there are a lot of potential problems that can come with drinking in moderation—starting with the fact that “moderation” is subjective. There’s also the controversy over drinking, with some studies saying it’s good for you (and one editorial recommending those who are teetotalers start drinking) while others say even very light drinking can lead to increased cancer risks.
One of the most recent studies released in 2018 suggests that a glass of wine per day can lead to an increased risk of breast cancer. Another study in BMJ backs up this evidence, finding that moderate drinking can damage brain health to degrees previously unknown. The authors of the BMJ study note that heavy drinking is well-known as an instigator of Korsakoff syndrome, also known as “alcohol dementia.” However, few studies have been conducted on what moderate drinking means for alcohol dementia. It wasn’t until the University of Oxford and University College London considered data from 30+ year drinkers, which brought to light that even moderate alcohol consumption causes a lapse in brain structure and cognitive health.
Unsurprisingly, the more you drink, the more negative effects you may suffer. The hippocampus can atrophy with heavy drinking, and that’s the brain’s hub for memory and learning. However, moderate drinkers were found to have three times higher risk of hippocampus atrophy compared to non-drinkers. In this particular study, “light drinkers” had the same hippocampus health as non-drinkers, which suggests that the idea of “moderation is key” might be incorrect.
Heavy drinkers also suffer a small loss of white matter integrity. This is the brain matter that lets neurons communicate. This was an observational test which asked participants to come up with a certain number of words per category. Moderate drinkers did not seem to suffer a loss of white matter, but the authors are quick to point out that they believe moderate drinking isn’t without risks. The hippocampus already shrinks with age, and is the impacted area in Alzheimer’s disease. Any encouragement of further hippocampus damage should be avoided, according to researchers.
It’s also important to note that this study took place in the UK. The UK has recently reduced alcohol guidelines, making serving sizes smaller than in the US. The US also has a tendency to be overly generous when serving alcoholic beverages such as wine. A standard drink should be five ounces, but oversized wine glasses can demand more. “Moderate drinking” in the US means four drinks per day for men and three for women. Depending on a person’s own drinking patterns, this can seem like quite a bit or a lighter load. However, the study authors say, “Our findings support the recent reduction in UK safe limits and call into question the current US guidelines.”
In their study, it was found that the recommended moderate levels in the US increased the chances of hippocampus atrophy significantly. “Alcohol might represent a modifiable risk factor for cognitive impairment, and primary prevention interventions targeted to later life could be too late,” the authors warn. When considering alcohol’s impact on the body, it’s critical to assess more than the well-known risks such as liver disease after years of hard drinking. The brain is impacted, too, as well as the cardiovascular system, skin, and every other part of the body.
Moderate drinking can also mean a person is over the legal limit to drive. After all, after four drinks most people are at least a touch tipsy. Increased risk of accidents go hand in hand with all levels of drinking. Considering the very generous US definitions of moderate drinking, it’s likely that many “moderate drinkers” are impaired on a fairly regular basis. On a more aesthetic level, moderate drinking can also cause weight gain and burst blood vessels. Alcohol is a unique depressant in that it causes initial grogginess, but leads to poor sleep. Lack of sleep is linked to several issues ranging from high blood pressure to chronic fatigue syndrome.
When assessing your own drinking levels, it may be worth using the UK’s guidelines for a clearer, healthier definition of light and moderate drinking.
